Report on Tap Water Contamination and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Challenge to SDG 3 and SDG 6

Recent research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates a significant public health crisis that directly challenges the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). An estimated 200 million people in the United States are at risk from tap water contaminated with carcinogenic and toxic chemicals. This report outlines the key findings, focusing on the contaminants, their health impacts, and the urgent need for action to meet global sustainability targets.

Key Contaminants and Associated Health Risks (SDG 3.9)

The EWG analysis, based on data reported by utilities through 2023, identifies three primary contaminants that threaten public health, undermining SDG Target 3.9, which aims to substantially reduce illnesses from water pollution. The contaminants and their impacts are as follows:

• Nitrate:
  • Affected Population: An estimated 263 million people across 49 states.
  • Source: Primarily linked to agricultural fertilizer runoff, highlighting a conflict with sustainable production patterns (SDG 12).
  • Health Impacts: Associated with increased cancer rates, particularly in agricultural states like Iowa. It also causes “blue baby syndrome” by impacting blood oxygen levels in infants and is linked to adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight and pre-term births.
• Chromium-6 (Hexavalent Chromium):
  • Affected Population: An estimated 260 million people, primarily in Arizona and California.
  • Source: Generated by industrial processes, pointing to a need for more responsible production and waste management under SDG 12.
  • Health Impacts: Even at low levels, it increases the risk of stomach cancer, liver damage, and reproductive problems.
• Arsenic:
  • Affected Population: An estimated 134 million people across all 50 states.
  • Source: Occurs naturally but is highly toxic in its inorganic form.
  • Health Impacts: Linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, impaired cognitive development in children, and increased mortality rates in young adults.

Regulatory Gaps and the Call for Stronger Institutions (SDG 16)

A significant barrier to ensuring safe water for all (SDG 6) is the discrepancy between current federal regulations and health-protective guidelines. This gap suggests a need to strengthen institutional effectiveness, a key component of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The current standards compared to EWG’s health guidelines are:

1. Nitrate: The EPA’s legal limit is 10 milligrams per liter, a standard many scientists believe is insufficient to protect against cancer risk or harm to a developing fetus. EWG’s health guideline is 0.14 ppm to reduce cancer risk.
2. Chromium-6: While California has set a maximum level of 10 micrograms per liter, EWG recommends a more protective standard of 0.02 parts per billion (ppb).
3. Arsenic: The EPA’s drinking water limit is 10 ppb, whereas EWG’s guideline for protecting public health is significantly lower at 0.004 ppb.

Recommendations for Achieving Water-Related SDGs

To make meaningful progress towards SDG 3 and SDG 6, immediate and decisive action is required. The data underscores the necessity for infrastructure investment and policy reform to ensure safe and clean water for all communities (SDG 11).

• Infrastructure Upgrade: Utilities must install effective water filtration systems, such as ion exchange, capable of reducing these harmful contaminants to levels that are truly safe for human consumption.
• Preventative Action: A recently published study demonstrates that using specialized filtration to reduce chromium-6 and arsenic could prevent an estimated 50,000 cancer cases, directly contributing to the goals of SDG 3.
• Policy Reform: Regulatory standards must be updated to reflect the latest science on the health risks of these contaminants, ensuring that institutions are effectively protecting public health as envisioned in SDG 16.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article extensively discusses the severe health consequences of consuming contaminated water, which directly relates to ensuring healthy lives. It explicitly mentions that the chemicals cause “cancer, liver damage, birth defects and other reproductive harms,” and links nitrates to “blue baby syndrome,” low birth weights, and “skyrocketing cancer rates” in Iowa.

   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • This is the central SDG addressed. The article’s main focus is the failure to provide safe drinking water, highlighting that “More than 200 million people are at risk of drinking tap water contaminated with chemicals.” It details the contamination of water systems by specific pollutants like arsenic, chromium-6, and nitrate.

   SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • The article connects water contamination to its sources, which are linked to production patterns. It states that nitrates are “commonly generated by the use of fertilizers on farmland,” and chromium-6 is “generated by industrial processes.” This points to the need for more sustainable agricultural and industrial practices to prevent the release of harmful chemicals into the environment.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
     • The article directly addresses this target by quantifying the population at risk (“more than 200 million people”) from hazardous chemicals (arsenic, chromium-6, nitrate) in drinking water and detailing the resulting illnesses, such as various cancers, liver damage, and reproductive problems.

   Under SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
     • The article demonstrates a failure to meet this target for a significant portion of the US population. The water described, contaminated with carcinogens and other toxins, is not “safe,” affecting an estimated 263 million Americans for nitrates alone.
   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
     • The article highlights the sources of pollution, such as nitrates from “fertilizers on farmland” and chromium-6 from “industrial processes,” which are releases of hazardous chemicals that degrade water quality. The need for filtration systems is a response to this ongoing pollution.

   Under SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
     • The widespread contamination from agricultural nitrates and industrial chromium-6, as detailed in the article, shows a gap in the environmentally sound management of these chemicals, leading to their release into water systems and causing the adverse health impacts described.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Indicators for SDG 3 and SDG 6

   • Concentration of contaminants in drinking water: The article provides specific quantitative measures that serve as direct indicators of water safety.
     • Nitrate levels are measured against the federal standard of “10 milligrams per liter.”
     • Arsenic levels are measured against the EPA’s limit of “10 ppb.”
     • Chromium-6 levels are measured against California’s standard of “10 micrograms per liter.”
   • Population exposed to unsafe water: The article uses the number of people affected as a key metric to show the scale of the problem.
     • “More than 200 million people are at risk.”
     • Nitrate affects “an estimated 263 million Americans.”
     • Chromium-6 contaminates the tap water of “an estimated 260 million people.”
     • Arsenic contaminates water serving “an estimated 134 million people.”
   • Incidence of water-related diseases: The article implies health data can be used as an indicator by linking contamination to specific outcomes.
     • It notes Iowa has the “second-highest rate of cancer in the nation” and that cancer is “increasing,” which researchers fear is driven by nitrates.
     • It links contaminants to “birth defects,” “low birth weights,” “pre-term birth,” and “harm to childhood cognitive development.”

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.9: Reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and water pollution.	Incidence rates of specific cancers (leukemia, pancreas, breast, stomach, kidney, etc.) in affected areas. Rates of birth defects, low birth weights, and pre-term births linked to water contaminants. Number of estimated cancer cases preventable by water filtration (e.g., “50,000 cancer cases”).
   SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: Achieve universal access to safe drinking water. 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution and release of hazardous chemicals.	Proportion/number of the population drinking contaminated water (e.g., “200 million people”). Number of water systems affected by contamination (e.g., “26,644 water systems” for nitrate). Concentration of nitrates in drinking water (measured against 10 mg/L standard). Concentration of chromium-6 in drinking water (measured in µg/L or ppb). Concentration of arsenic in drinking water (measured against 10 ppb standard).
   SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production	12.4: Achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and reduce their release to water and soil.	Prevalence of nitrate contamination linked to fertilizer use on farmland. Prevalence of chromium-6 contamination linked to industrial processes.

Source: truthout.org