Chromium (total)
Northampton Water Department
Chromium is a naturally occurring metal, but industrial uses can elevate its levels in water. One form, hexavalent chromium, causes cancer. Total chromium is not a good indicator of the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water.
12
Samples
0
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
0
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | ND | 3 | 0 | ND |
| 2021 | 0.433 ppb | 3 | 1 | ND - 1.30 ppb |
| 2022 | 0.733 ppb | 3 | 2 | ND - 1.10 ppb |
| 2023 | ND | 3 | 0 | ND |
ppb = parts per billion
State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 100 ppb
The legal limit for total chromium, established in 1991, was based on a 1958 toxicity study in laboratory animals, and applies to both the less-toxic trivalent chromium and the more-toxic hexavalent chromium forms of this compound. This limit does not protect against the risk of cancer from ingestion of hexavalent chromium.
ppb = parts per billion
All test results
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| 2020-11-05 | ND |
| 2020-11-05 | ND |
| 2020-11-05 | ND |
| 2021-11-09 | 1.30 ppb |
| 2021-11-09 | ND |
| 2021-11-09 | ND |
| 2022-10-12 | 1.10 ppb |
| 2022-10-12 | ND |
| 2022-10-12 | 1.10 ppb |
| 2023-11-01 | ND |
| 2023-11-01 | ND |
| 2023-11-01 | ND |