Water Contaminated with Chromium 6

New recommendations have been issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test and monitor hexavalent chromium, or better known as chromium 6, in public water systems.  If you did not know (which I didn't) a report late last year found the chemical in the tap water of 31 cities here in the United States.  Scary, right?What's even scarier is that chromium 6 can cause cancer especially if you are exposed to the chemcial over a long time.  It is most known for causing stomach cancer and tumors.

Recent studies suggest very young children and those with already compromised immune systems could become even more sick by being exposed.  Remember the movie Erin Brokovich, staring Julia Roberts? Yeah, well that was chromium 6 and it also was a true story.  If you didn't see the movie or aren't familiar with the story, check out: Story of Erin Brokovich

Quarterly or semi-annual testing for chromium 6 was recommended by a top EPA official.  There's no requirement that local and state governments must comply.  Last month, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson promised to complete a review of chromium 6 by this summer. 

According to the study, the three cities with the highest contamination levels are Norman, Oklahoma; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, California.  For a complete list of cities, click on: Water in 31 of 35 Cities, Contaminated