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Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are standards that are set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for drinking water quality. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] An MCL is the legal threshold limit on the amount of a substance that is allowed in public water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
If they are above these levels the waste must be taken to a hazardous waste disposal facility and the cost of disposal may increase from about $50.00/ton to as much as $1200.00/ton. As extremely contaminated material is expensive to dispose of, grading is necessary to ensure safe disposal and to avoid paying for disposal of "clean fill."
Chronic effects occur after people consume a contaminant at levels over EPA's safety standards over the course of many years. [33] The drinking water contaminants that can have chronic effects include chemicals (such as disinfection byproducts, solvents and pesticides), radionuclides (such as radium), and minerals (such as arsenic).
EPA has set standards for over 90 contaminants organized into six groups: microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides. [12] States and territories must implement rules that are at least as stringent as EPA's to retain primary enforcement authority (primacy) over drinking water.
EPA illustration of lead sources in residential buildings Infographic about lead in drinking water. The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is a United States federal regulation that limits the concentration of lead and copper allowed in public drinking water at the consumer's tap, as well as limiting the permissible amount of pipe corrosion occurring due to the water itself. [1]
The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are air pollution standards issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The standards, authorized by the Clean Air Act, are for pollutants not covered by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that may cause an increase in fatalities or in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating illness.
For methylmercury, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has estimated a safe daily intake level of 0.1 μg/kg body weight per day. [ 19 ] The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that exposures to mercury metal be limited to an average of 0.05 mg/m 3 over a 10-hour workday in addition to a ceiling ...
If a state doesn't take action to develop TMDLs, or if EPA disapproves state-developed TMDLs, the EPA is responsible for issuing TMDLs. EPA published regulations in 1992 establishing TMDL procedures. [5] Application of TMDLs has broadened significantly in the last decade to include many watershed-scale efforts, including the Chesapeake Bay TMDL ...