Hexavalent chromium, also called chromium-6, is considered to be a “probable carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health. But a recent report by the Environmental Working Group found that chromium-6 is widespread in our nation’s tap water. Of the 35 cities it tested, EWG found water from 31 cities contained the metal.   

Despite the known risks of chromium-6, there are no set legal limits in our water. The EPA currently tests for “total chromium,” which measures both trivalent chromium, which is necessary for metabolism, and chromium-6. But the report found that in the water samples, most chromium was in the hexavalent form.

There’s no reason not to test our water supply for a cancer-causing substance that millions of people are currently exposed to. Tell the EPA to move rapidly to establish a legal limit for hexavalent chromium in our tap water and require utilities to test specifically for it.