Chromium-6: Over 200 million Americans have ‘Erin Brockovich’ chemical in their tap water

Chromium-6: Over 200 million Americans have ‘Erin Brockovich’ chemical in their tap water

Hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, is the carcinogen made famous by the true story of ‘Erin Brockovich.’ The 2000 film depicted a legal case brought by Brockovich against a large utility company in Southern California for poisoning the water supply with chromium-6. The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million.

However new findings show that chromium-6 contamination is threatening more than 200 million Americans all over the country.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a remarkably comprehensive report on the issue:

EWG: Chromium-6 Found in US Tap Water

The report is an excellent source, detailing the widespread presence of chromium-6, the health risks involved, and how lobbying efforts are preventing proper regulation of the water supply. Here are some highlights and other relevant info:
  • Chromium-6 is a carcinogen, and studies have linked it to a host of additional health issues.
  • Based on nationwide EPA tests from 2013-2015, EWG estimates that water supplies serving 218 million Americans in all 50 states contain unsafe levels of chromium-6.
  • EWG estimates that chromium-6 will cause more than 12,000 excess cases of cancer by the end of century, if left untreated.
  • In 2010, a public-health goal was set of 0.02 parts per billion in tap water. State regulators adopted a legal limit of 500x that amount in 2014, after aggressive lobbying by industry & water utilities.
    • I won’t get into the specific lobbying efforts here, but the EWG reports shines a light on the many obstacles to tap water regulation.
Does your tap water contain unsafe levels of chromium-6? Find out here.

Do you have a chromium-6 problem?

The solution is use a filtration system that eliminates chromium-6 from the tap water. The best options are the Vitev Maxx and Vitev Flo+ systems. They remove chromium-6 from source water and a wide a range of other tap water contaminants.

Ask a Vitev filtration expert today how you can improve the quality of your drinking water. Call us at 1-855-456-9220 for a Free consultation.

← Older Post Newer Post →

Leave a comment

Learning Center

RSS
Why does my Reverse Osmosis Water taste bad?

Why does my Reverse Osmosis Water taste bad?

By Vitev Team

Bad tasting Reverse Osmosis (RO) water can be the result of several issues, but roughly fall into 3 main categories. System component failure, problems with...

Read more
Magnesium, Calcium, and More: Which Minerals Should Be in Your Water?

Magnesium, Calcium, and More: Which Minerals Should Be in Your Water?

By Vitev Team

Some initial thoughts: Before jumping into what minerals should be in our drinking water we need to establish a few baseline understandings first.    ...

Read more