CHROMIUM STANDARDS WITHDRAWN BY STATE.Byline: - Troy Anderson The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard health hazard Occupational safety Any agent or activity posing a potential hazard to health. Cf Physical hazard. Assessment on Friday withdrew its public health goal for chromium and chromium 6 and announced it is working to set new standards by spring 2003. ``The study we used for calculating the chromium 6 public health goal contained some flaws and so we no longer plan to use that study,'' office spokesman Allan Hirsch said. The public health goal of 0.2 parts per billion has raised concerns in recent years as levels as high as 30 ppb were detected in water systems across the state, including the San Fernando, Antelope and San Gabriel valleys. The state also withdrew the public health goal of 2.5 ppb for total chromium. Chromium 6, a chemical used in chrome plating and aerospace manufacturing processes, was highlighted in the Oscar-nominated movie ``Erin Brockovich.'' Scientists say the chemical is a known carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. when inhaled as a vapor, but disagree over safe limits when it is ingested in water. A public health goal is the level of a chemical contaminant contaminant /con·tam·i·nant/ (kon-tam´in-int) something that causes contamination. contaminant something that causes contamination. in drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. that does not pose a significant risk to public health. State law requires drinking water standards to be set as close to the goal as is economically and technically feasible. Hirsch said it was too early to know if the new goal will be higher or lower than the old ones. Los Angeles County Environmental Toxicology Bureau Deputy Director Wasfy Shindy shin·dy n. pl. shin·dies 1. A commotion; an uproar. Also called shindig. 2. See shindig. [Perhaps alteration of shinny1. said he would like to see it set lower. ``According to the state Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
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