DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH A HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service i\ Agency to: Toxin Sumnoes and Registry (ATSDR). Regan a l650 Aich SuuL 3Hsoo Philadelphia PA mos October 3'0' 20 IS Mri and Mrs. Enkins Avella, PA 15312 Ms. Kelly A. Smith Applied Resemh a Technical Suppurl Branch. Chief US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ORDINRMRUGWERD 9l9 Kerr Research Drive Ada, Oklahoma 74820 Dell Ml'. and Mrs, Elkins: The EPA collected samples from your private water well as part of a national study of the possible effects of hydmulic fracturing on drinking water. This letter summarizes ATSDR's 2013 and 2014 conversations with you and EPA about your well water quality. Overview EPA collected samples from your privnle wuter well in July 201 and May 2013 and bus shured the results with you. ATSDR reviewed the resulls from your Wilct' samples to evuluale the quulity or me wliet fut use us drinking water, Quality drinking wt!th dues not contain chemicals at hunnful levels and is free of bad odors, lute. and color. EPA requested that ATSDR write this follow-up letter, which summarizes our March 12. 20M Ind May I. 2014 conversations with you and EPA about your well water quality A Brie! Danipflon of Our Method To determine if drinking well water poses a health problem. ATSDR compares the results found in well w_utet' to health compurison values established by agencies such as EPA and the World Health Organi ion (WHO) have established. if your test result showed [hut the level of I particular chemical or substance was less than the established health comparison value, it is unlikely that it would Iffect your health. If the result was greater Ihm the hellth comparison wine, then ATSDR evnluuted it funhet'i If no health cumplt'ison Value Ivaillble, then ATSDR evaluated it further. For example, we researched published studies and information to determine if the level found in your well wIIer might affect your health. What We Found in Your Wall Wom- ln the Mny 2013 sampling of your well wner, .lnminum. imn, manganese. sodium, lead and di- phtlulute comparison vnlne. This mikes them contaminants of potential conoem. In the July 20] sampling of your well water, no chemicals exceeded a comparison Valuer Contaminants of Potential Concern (from samples collected in July 2011 and May 2013) . Date . Reason identi?ed as contaminant of tential Chemical Detected Concentration concern p0 Aluminum May 2013 2,380 uglL Exceeds 50-200 gig/L (EPA SMCL) Iron May 2013 10,200 Exceeds 300 ug/L (EPA SMCL) Manganese May 2013 425 ug/L Exceeds 50 tug/L (EPA SMCL) Sodium May 2013 132 Exceeds 20 (EPA DWEUgtidance level) Lead May 2013 25.6 [lg/L Exceeds 15 all. (EPA Action Level) phthalate May 2013 4.34 ug/L Exceeds 2.5 tag/L (CREG) (DEHP) We also found formate and titanium, but no comparison values are available for these substances. This mea?s'we had to evaluate them further to det?nnirieif they may affect your?he'alth. Chemical Date Concentration Reason identi?ed as contaminant of potential Detected concern Formate I July 201? 7 77 A I No Titanium May 2013 43.3 ngIL No CV Notes for both tables: CREG a cancer risk guidance level; CV comparison value, DWEL Drinking Water Equivalency Level or guidance level. SMCL Secondary maximum contaminant level. mg/L milligrams per liter; gig/L micrograms per liter How Your Well Water May Affect Your Health We found some of the chemicals in your drinking water at levels that were high enough to affect your health and make the water unsuitable for drinking. 0 The level of formate in your drinking water is not a health concern Formate was detected at 0.26 mglL. ATSDR does not have a health comparisoa value for formate. Different forms of this chemical are found naturally in foods and are used as allowable food additives. After you eat formate. it is quickly eliminated from your body. Based on the available scienti?c information, the level of formate in your drinking water is not a health concern. - Aluminummay make your water taste metallic 7 - .7 Aluminum was detected at 2,390 ug/L, which exceeds the EPA SMCL of 50-200 tug/L. This value did not exceed an ATSDR health comparison value for children or adults. Aluminum is not a necessary substance for human health. This level of aluminum will not affect your health but may make your water taste metallic and make it unsuitable for drinking.l 0 DEHP can increase the risk of cancer phthalate (DEHP), a man-made chemical, was detected at 4.34 ug/L. This level does not exceed a non-cancer health comparison value. The amount found in your well water does exceed a cancer screening value of 0.023 [lg/L. If you consume the water for many years (70 years) and drink at least 2 liters a day, at the level detected in your water, there is a slight increased risk of developing cancer. Iron may cause water to have a metach taste The iron level in your March 2012 sample (10,200 ug/L) exceeded the EPA SMCL of 300 pg/L. Your water may have a rusty color, which can stain clothes and dishes after washing. Drinking the water with this amount of iron will not harm the health of a normal person. However, the water may have a metallic taste, which makes it unsuitable as drinking water. Iron is an essential nutrient that helps carry oxygen in your blood. Low iron in your body can result in anemia. Having too little iron in your diet is generally considered a bigger problem than having too much iron. However, some people have a genetic condition called hemochromatosis. People with this condition absorb too much iron from their diet, which results in a build-up of iron in their body and in organ damage. If a person has this condition, they should consult their physician if they are using this water for drinking or cooking. Lead can have neurological effects on sensitive populations The lead level'in your May 2013 well water sample exceeded the EPA action level of 15 pig/L for public water systems and is of health concern because of this chemical?s effects on the developing fetus and young children.2 Any detectable level of lead in drinking water is of public health concern because of the potential neurological effects on these sensitive populatioas. Too much manganese can cause health problems The manganese level in your well water sample (425 jig/L) in May 2013 was higher than the EPA SMCL of 50 ug/L. This level could be higher than dietary recommendations. Manganese is an essential nutrient. Our bodies require it to function properly. But, too much manganese can affect the look and taste of your drinking water, and at even higher amounts can cause health problems. Estimating typical daily exposure to manganese from food can be dif?cult, especially when higher exposures from drinking water are combined with typical exposures from food. Young children drinking water with the manganese level found in your May 2013 sample could exceed dietary guidelines for this chemical. The manganese level found in May 2013 could be of health concern for adults as well, if the exposure from drinking this water is combined with typical manganese exposures from food. Sodium is a health concern for people trying to limit salt intake Sodium was found in your well in your May 2013 sample at 132 mglL, which exceeds the EPA DWEL advisory level of 20 The level of 20 is intended to protect people who have high blood pressure or are on a sodium-restricted diet. Drinking water with a high level of sodium is a health concern for people who mustliniithow much salt they eat or - drink. The taste of water is generally offensive to all users at levels of 200 and above because of the salty taste.4 Children are also sensitive to salt in their diet. People who drink this water and must limit their sodium intake and should discuss this situation with their family doctor. ATSDR does not expect the level of titanium in your well water to cause health problems. Titanium was detected in your May 2013 well water sample at 43 ug/L. Average daily intake of titanium from food in the United States (750-2000 uglday) and the United Kingdom (800 pg/day) is about 10 times higher than the daily exposures that can be estimated from your sample?s titanium concentration.? ATSDR does not have health comparison value for ingestion exposures to titanium. One study suggests an acceptable drinking water level for titanium should be 100 Long-term toxicity studies indicate that titanium (in the form of a soluble salt) administered to mice in drinking water at a concentration of 5 mg/L from weaning to natural death did not signi?cantly affect life span of these rodents. Feeding technical grade titanium dioxide to a number of laboratory animals (guinea pigs closed at 600 mglday; rabbits dosed at 3,000 mg/day, cats dosed at 3,000 mg/day, and one dog dosed at 9,000 mglday for 390 days) did not cause any adverse effects in these animals? ATSDR concludes, based on this limited information, that the level of titanium in your well water is not expected to result in adverse health effects. ATSDR Recommends That You Use an Alternative Source ATSDR understands that you voluntarily chose not to consume water from your private water supply. As we discussed together in 2014, based on the sampling information from May 2013, ATSDR recommends that any future users of this private water well use an alternative source for their drinking water or else treat this drinking water source. Future users should carefully consider their options about appropriate water treatment. The Penn State Extension Program and the Master Well Ownfr Network can provide expert advice to help make decisions about appropriate water treatment. All private well owners should test their drinking water on a regular basis. The Penn State Extension Program offers well water testing at low costs, and this program offers a Speci?c gas/oil water testing package. You can use the Penn State Extension lab testing web site testin ldrinkin -water-testin or call the Washington County Penn State Extension of?ce at 724- 228-6881 for more information on their private water well testing program. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me. Sinfemly. Karl V. Markiewicz, Senior Toxicologist ATSDR Region 3 215-814-3149 kvm4?cdc.gov . cc: Dr. Sharon Williams-Fleetwood. ATSDR DCHI Eastern Branch Chief More information available at: US. EPA. ?Secondary Drinking Water Regulations: Guidance for Nuisance Chemicals." :l wa er . drin contaminants seco cfm. 2 US. EPA, ?Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water,? ht contam? sf]: cad . 3 US. EPA, ?Sodium in Drinking Water," World Health Organization. 1979. Sodium. chlorides and conductivity in drinking water. EURO Reports and Studies No. 2. Regional Of?ce for Europe, Copenhagen. th59 2xM28/cdit?pl i=1 5 World Health Organization. 1982. Environmental Health Criteria. Titanium. Geneva. Switzerland: WHO 24: 1-68 (1982) 5 Dong, 5.2., Chen. C.Z.. Li, D.M., Sun, Y.S. 1993. Study of Hygienic Standard for Titanium in the Source of Drinking Water.? Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine (CJPM). University of the Medical Sciences. Guangzhou. Dong et al. (1993) conclude that (1) chronic toxicity test of titanium in rats showed that the maximum non-effective concentration was 1.08mglL, and (2) suggest that the maximum allowable concentration of titanium in drinking water may be 0.1 ngL. This study has not be reviewed by ATSDR. 7 International Programme on Chemical Safety. 1982. Environmental Health Criteria: Titanium. Geneva. Switzerland. Site accessed on April 24. 2015: - or . c24.htm 1' Penn State Extension, ?Home Water Treatment in Perspective," resource. {wateridrinkin -water wat - estin war r-treatmen e-water- reatment?in- ers ective