.v^1L0 STIik		
FACT SHEET ON A DRINKING WATER CHEMICAL CONTAMINANT
GENERAL INFORMATION
Synonyms:
•	1-Chloro-2.3-£poxypropane. 3-Chloro-l ,2-
Sooxypfopane; (Chloromethyl) Oxirane; 2-
(Chloromefhyl) Oxirane; Chloropropylene oxide
Chemical Description:
•	Volatile synthetic organic chemical
Properties:
•	Colorless liquid with a pungent, garlic, sweet,
chloroform-like odor
•	Slightly heavier than water
•	Moderately soluble in water
•	High vapor pressure
Production and Use:
•	Used in the manufacture of glycerol and
expoxy resins, pharmaceuticals, agricultural
chemicals, plasticizers, dyes, aahesives,
polymers, stabilizers, and paper-sizing agents
•	Polymers made from epichlorohydrin are
sometimes usen as a flocculant to remove
particulate mauer in the treatment of water
supplies
ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE
Occurence:
•	Not expected to occur in drinking water at
levels to cause detrimental health effects
Releases:
» Principle source of epichlorohydrin in drinking
wafer is impurities in wafer treatment
chemicals and surfaces in contact with
drinking water
•	Other releases to water are the result of
industrial effluents, disposal of solid wastes, and
occidental chemical spills
•	The primary source .of releases to the
environment occur to air from manufacturing
processes and its use as an intermediate
Environmental Fate:
•	Considered to be not persistent:
•	will volatilize fairly rapidly to the atmosphere
from surface water and soil (major removal
mechanism)
•	expected to be mobile in soil {low potential
for adsorbtion to soil or sediment), with mgh
potential to migrate to ground water
•	expected to biodegrade in soil and water
» will be removed from both surface and
ground wafer by hydrolysis
•	low potential for bioaccumutation
HEALTH EFFECTS
Humans;
•	Cases of acute exposure indicate that dermal
exposure produces predominantly local
irritation effects, and inhalation exposure
produces detrimental effects upon functions of
the liver and kidneys
•	Chronic exposure has been associated with
chromosome abberations and detrimental
effects upon the blood (blood dyscrasta)
Experimental Animals:
» High acute toxicity following oral, dermal, or
inhalation exposure, producing similar
symptoms in each case
•	acute exposure has the greatest effect
upon the central nervous system (CNS). with
death being due to depression of the
respiratory center, and causes detrimental
effects upon the functions of the lungs, liver,
and kidneys
•	Chronic oral exposure causes stomach
cancer, and inhalation exposure ccuses
respiratory tract cancer and eye and skin
irritation
•	Causes sterility in male rats, but is reversible
once exposure has ceased
•	Equivocal evidence of maternal toxicity and
fefotoxtcity
•	High mutagenic and carcinogenic potential

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REGULATORY PROFILE
Existing Standards:
•Clean Air Act (CAA): Reguiated
•Clean Water Act CWA):
No criteria established
'Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA);
Hazardous waste
•Superfund (CERCLA):
•Hazardous substance
•SARA: Toxic chemical
•Federal Insecticide. Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA):
Registered
•Toxic Substancet Control Act (ISCA):
Regulated
HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment Technique Requirements:
•	Because no standardized analytical methods
are available for epichlorohydrin at low levels
in drinking water, EPA proposed a treatment
technique rather than an MCLG/MCL in order
to reduce the chance of exposure to
epichlorohydrin
•	EPA proposed to limit the allowable levels of
epichlorohydrin monomers in products used
during water treatment, storage, and
distribution
•	Under the proposed rule, a water system using
a product containing epichlorohydrin must
certify annually in writing to the State that the
combination of the amount of residual
monomer in the polymer and the dosage rate
does not cause the concentration in finished
wafer to exceed the specified level:
0.01 percent residual epichlorohydrin
concentration dosed at 20.0 ppm
(effective July 1992)
•	Exceedonc© of the specified level in drinking
water may result in adverse effects which will
depend upon the contaminant concentration
in wafer, amount c; water/contaminant
ingested, length of exposure, and other
biological parameters
IPA Hearth Advisories (HA):
•	Short-term HAs: Provide acceptable
concentrations of contaminants in wafer for
up to 10 day exposures, primarily to evaluate
the public health risk resulting from an
accidental spill or an emergency
contamination situation
•	Longer-term HAs: Provice gu:aa-ce t*
persistent water contamination situations *o
cover a period of up to 7 years
•	Lifetime HA*: Derived in the same way as an
MCIG
Health Advisories:
Short-term HA for a child = 0.1 mg, I
Longer-term HA for a child = 0.07 mg L
Longer-term HA for an adult = 0.07 mg L
Lifetime HA = Not recommended
ANALYTICAL METHODS
•	No standardized analytical methods are
available for epichlorohydrin at low levels in
drinking water
WATER TREATMENT
•	Since a 8est Available Technology (BAT) does
not exist for epichlorohydrin, EPA suggests that
water systems limit the use of products
containing epichlorohydrin
SHORT-TERM HAZARD ELIMINATION
•	If the drinking water standards are exceeded,
use an alternative drinking wafer supply such
as bottled water
ADDITIONAL HELP
•	State or county health officials can indicate a
certified laboratory for testing
•	Experts in the state Department of
Environmental Protection or Natural Resources
may also be of help
•	The EPA has toll-free numbers for further
information ¦ on drinking water quality,
treatment technologies, for obtaining Health
Advisories, and for other regulatory information
•	EPA Hotlines are available Monday through
Friday
•Safe Drinking Water	800-426-4791
• Natlonal Pesticides:	800-858-7378
•Superfund/RCRA:	800-424-9346
•' For information on the Clean Water Act, call
(202) 260-7301
•	For information on the Toxic' Substances
Control Act, caH (202) 564-1404
» For information on the Clean Air Act, call
(919) 541-2777

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