Dioxane detected in Ann Arbor drinking water from Barton Pond for first time

ANN ARBOR, MI – Recent lab tests at Ann Arbor’s water treatment plant indicated 1,4-dioxane in the city’s surface water supply and in the finished drinking water.

Results from samples collected Feb. 6 estimated concentrations of 0.061 parts per billion at the city’s intake in Barton Pond and 0.030 ppb in the treated drinking water.

The city released the results on Friday, March 1, saying it’s important to let city water customers know about “this first-time detection.”

The city maintains the water is safe to drink, with dioxane levels equal to about one drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

“With recent advances in lab testing techniques, we are able to detect very low levels of contaminants in water samples,” city spokeswoman Lisa Wondrash said in a statement. “The presence of small amounts of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.”

Dioxane is a toxic chemical that’s classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. It also can cause kidney and liver damage, and respiratory problems.

Just a few parts per billion in drinking water, with long-term exposure, poses a 1 in 100,000 […]

Full article: Dioxane detected in Ann Arbor drinking water from Barton Pond for first time

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