Chromium in Tucson Community

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What's up Tucson! Anyone who has lived in Tucson at any point for any amount of time has definitely heard rumors about how bad the Tucson water quality is. But just how bad is it exactly? Well, you've come to the right place for information on that. 

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the tap water here in Tucson is awful. They have detected 6 other contaminants than chromium, such as arsenic, nitrates, and even uranium. But the chromium levels are quite high. The tap water was around 0.649 ppb from 2013 to 2019, which is 32 times the EWG's recommended amount of 0.02 ppb. The state's average level is even worse, with it being 3.38 ppb! Keep in mind that the EPA set forth a drinking water standard of 100 ppb, so this is not great.

I'd definitely recommend watching where you are getting your water from and investing in something like a water filter or another option that can help lower your chromium intake to safer levels! 


Sources Used:

Environmental Working Group. (2021). City of Tucson. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=AZ0410112 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). Chromium in Drinking Water. https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/chromium-drinking-water#:~:text=EPA%20has%20a%20drinking%20water%20standard%20of%200.1,This%20includes%20all%20forms%20of%20chromium%2C%20including%20chromium-6.

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