10 Dangerous Chemicals Found in Wisconsin Water: Study

METRO MILWAUKEE, WI — A new report released by a national environmental group found hundreds of harmful contaminants across the American water supply that can cause cancer, developmental issues in children, problems in pregnancy and other serious health conditions.

In Wisconsin, 10 chemicals were found to exceed health guidelines, with 6 exceeding legal limits. According to the study, the top 5 water utilities that exceeded recommended health levels were, in order: Waukesha Water Utility, Sussex, Tomah, Pewaukee City and Shady Oaks.

“There are chemicals that have been linked to cancer, for example, that are found above health-based limits, or health guidelines, in the water of more than 250 million Americans,” said Nneka Leiba, director of Healthy Living Science at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an independent nonprofit organization that released a detailed account of the contaminants.

EWB, in conjunction with outside scientists, assessed health-based guidelines for hundreds of chemicals found in our water across the country and compared them to the legal limits.

Contaminants in your water

EWG has released a public database cataloging contaminants in water systems in every state in the country — the first comprehensive database of its kind that took two years to build. First select the state where you live, and you'll see state-level data. For more local information, enter your zip code.

After you enter your zip code, you'll be directed to a page showing the water utilities in your county. Select your town to see which contaminants put your families at risk.

These contaminants are above health guidelines in Wisconsin:

• Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which are linked to bladder cancer, skin cancer and fetal development issues
• Bromodichloromethane, which is linked to harm to child and fetuses, as well as reproductive difficulties
• Chloroform, which is linked to cancer and fetal development issues
• Dibromochloromethane, these and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy
• Chromium (hexavalent)in drinking water may be due to industrial pollution or natural occurrences in mineral deposits and groundwater.
• Dichloroacetic acid, which has been linked to cancer and may harm reproduction and child development
• Trichloroacetic acid, which has been linked to cancer and may harm reproduction and child development
• Radium-226, which is linked to cancer
• Radium-228, which is linked to cancer
• Bromate is a carcinogenic disinfection byproduct formed when source waters containing bromide are treated with ozonation or sodium hypochlorite

These 6 contaminants were detected above legal guidelines in Wisconsin:

• Radium-226 and Radium-228, both of which have been linked to cancer
• Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), linked to bladder cancer, skin cancer and fetal development issues
• Arsenic, which has been linked to cancer; brain damage; central nervous system damage; skin damage, heart and blood vessel changes; and increased risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes
• Nitrate, in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer
• Uranium, which has been linked to cancer and harm to the kidneys
• Nitrate and Nitrite, These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate.

What You Can Do

Once people know about the high levels of dangerous contaminants in their water, the question becomes what they can do to protect their health.

”There’s a way to reduce those levels simply by buying a water filter,” said Leiba.

EWG provides a guide to buying water filters.

There are many types of filters, including carbon filters, deionization filters and distillation filters. Each type has its own strengths and weakness, so sometimes a filter will include multiple filtration methods to eliminate more potential threats. If you find that your local water supply has a particularly high level of a dangerous chemical, you can search for a filter that blocks that substance.

To find the most effective filter, look for certifications from the Water Quality Association and NSF International. Different filters remove different contaminants.

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- By Cody Fenwick
Image via Pixabay