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'Erin Brockovich' chemical found in tap water of more than 200M Americans

<p>Turns out lead isn't the only thing that could be contaminating your tap water.</p><p>Chromium-6, which people over the age of 30 might remember as the dangerous compound in the movie "Erin Brockovich," is in the water supplied to <a href="http://www.ewg.org/research/chromium-six-found-in-us-tap-water#ref4" target="_blank">most Americans</a>.</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/east-chicago-residents-suffer-from-lead-poisoning-like-flint/">Flint Had Lead In The Water; This Town Has Lead In The Land</a></b></p><p>The Environmental Working Group analyzed findings from the Environmental Protection Agency and found over 200 million people in all 50 states have higher levels of chromium-6 in their water than what scientists consider safe.</p><p>Excess levels of chromium compounds have been linked to lung and <a href="http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/occupationandcancerpdf.pdf" target="_blank">sinus cancer</a>, as well as numerous other diseases.</p><p>The state of American water has been anything but clear lately after thousands of residents in Flint, Michigan, got sick after drinking water contaminated by lead.</p><p>The Environmental Working Group is currently lobbying the EPA to toughen its standards for water purity.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/how-scientists-read-ancient-scrolls-that-can-t-be-opened/">This Ancient Copy Of Leviticus Is Too Fragile To Open: Cue Science</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/chinese-officials-say-they-ve-lost-control-of-space-station/">Chinese Officials Aren't Sure Where Their Falling Spacecraft Will Land</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/smoking-can-cause-damage-to-your-dna-even-after-you-quit/">Smoking Can Cause Damage To Your DNA, Even Years After You Quit</a></li></ul>
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A new study released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates that two-third of Americans may be drinking dangerous carcinogens in their tap water.

According to the report, water supplies serving more than 200 million Americans contain unsafe levels of chromium-6, the same chemical that was the focus of the legal battle in the movie “Erin Brockovich.”

Between 2013 and 2015, EWG says they took more than 60,000 drinking water samples from around the country and discovered chromium-6 in more than 75 percent of them.

A 2008 study by the National Toxicology Program found that water containing chromium-6 caused cancer in lab rats in mice. The chemical has also been linked to lung cancer, liver damage,reproductive problems and brain development issues.

How much chromium-6 is in your tap water?

California is the only state in the nation that regulates the amount of chromium-6 in drinking water, at a rate of 10 parts per billion. However, that rate of chromium-6 is still 500 times more than the 0.02 parts per billion rate recommended by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment a 2008 study.

Phoenix and Las Vegas  were among cities listed that had the highest concentration of chromium-6 in their water supplies.

The EWG estimates that if tap water doesn’t go untreated, chromium-6 levels will cause more than 12,000 cases of cancer throughout the country.

 

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Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.