Di-n-butyl phthalate
Status: No national drinking water standard exists
Dibutyl phthalate is an additive used in many consumer products. As a group, phthalates are associated with hormone disruption. Read More.
Phthalates are synthetic chemicals that are added to hard plastics to make them soft and malleable. Phthalates can be found in everyday consumer products such as carpets, paints, glues, wall coverings, tablecloths, furniture upholstery, shower curtains, garden� hoses, toys, shoes, automobile upholstery, food packaging and medical products. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to respiratory health problems, asthma and allergies in infants and children, and changes in reproductive system development in baby boys. The National Toxicology Program classifies a commonly used phthalate, called di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP, as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
2017-2019:
5
states detected
23
utilities detected
107,000
people served
Health concerns for di-n-butyl phthalate
Harm to reproduction and child development
Hormone disruption
States reporting di-n-butyl phthalate in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 67,053 | |
| Texas | 4 | 31,342 | |
| Washington | 6 | 5,592 | |
| Delaware | 8 | 2,882 | |
| New York | 1 | 400 | |
Filtering technologies that reduce di-n-butyl phthalate
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of di-n-butyl phthalate, 2017-2019
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predator Ridge | Pasco, WA | 1 of 2 | 13.7 ppb | 66 |
| Outlaw Camp | Cle Elum, WA | 1 of 4 | 3.85 ppb | 95 |
| River Oaks Water System | Burnet, TX | 1 of 3 | 3.00 ppb | 300 |
| Madawaska Water District | Madawaska, ME | 1 of 2 | 2.60 ppb | 2,853 |
| Goldenrod WSC | Richmond, TX | 2 of 5 | 2.22 ppb | 85 |
| Harris County Municipal Utility District 286 | Houston, TX | 2 of 6 | 1.42 ppb | 7,523 |
| Montgomery County UD 3* | Houston, TX | 1 of 3 | 1.20 ppb | 3,894 |
| Clearbrooke Estates Pump District | Dover, DE | 5 of 5 | 1.13 ppb | 603 |
| Stevens Co. PUD - Halfmoon Ranchos | Loon Lake, WA | 1 of 3 | 1.07 ppb | 216 |
| Suncreek Estates Section 1 | Magnolia, TX | 1 of 2 | 1.05 ppb | 342 |
| Holiday Villages of Livingston | Pflugerville, TX | 1 of 4 | 0.975 ppb | 1,756 |
| Heights Country Subdivision | Austin, TX | 1 of 4 | 0.825 ppb | 105 |
| Stratford Road Estates | Moses Lake, WA | 2 of 9 | 0.818 ppb | 272 |
| Crystal Clear WSC | San Marcos, TX | 3 of 12 | 0.700 ppb | 16,488 |
| Green Tank Irr District 11 | Walla Walla, WA | 2 of 3 | 0.680 ppb | 553 |
| City of Alamo Heights | San Antonio, TX | 1 of 14 | 0.571 ppb | 7,031 |
| Stockley Center | Georgetown, DE | 1 of 1 | 0.460 ppb | 749 |
| Pomeroy City Of | Pomeroy, WA | 2 of 3 | 0.448 ppb | 1,395 |
| Fouke Waterworks | Fouke, AR | 1 of 4 | 0.338 ppb | 940 |
| Loring Development Authority | Limestone, ME | 1 of 1 | 0.310 ppb | 180 |
| Artesian Northern Sussex Regional | Newark, DE | 3 of 6 | 0.304 ppb | 5,511 |
| Newport City Of | Newport, WA | 1 of 1 | 0.291 ppb | 2,140 |
| Tyler County Water Supply Corporation | Spurger, TX | 1 of 18 | 0.283 ppb | 4,381 |
| North Perry Ave Water District | Bremerton, WA | 2 of 11 | 0.227 ppb | 18,818 |
| Flying Dutchman Mobile Home Park 3 | Felton, DE | 1 of 1 | 0.210 ppb | 81 |
| Deer Meadows | Newark, DE | 1 of 4 | 0.201 ppb | 447 |
| South Shores | Dover, DE | 1 of 1 | 0.170 ppb | 540 |
| Church Creek* | Newark, DE | 2 of 15 | 0.164 ppb | 7,665 |
| Barkers Landing | Magnolia, DE | 2 of 15 | 0.164 ppb | 498 |
| Granada Mobile Home Court | Magnolia, DE | 1 of 1 | 0.160 ppb | 138 |
| Combined Water System | Oak Harbor, WA | 1 of 1 | 0.155 ppb | 435 |
| Burtonwood | Newark, DE | 1 of 4 | 0.151 ppb | 1,503 |
| Teal Point | Dover, DE | 1 of 1 | 0.150 ppb | 96 |
| Stevens Co. PUD - Denison | Loon Lake, WA | 1 of 2 | 0.132 ppb | 60 |
| Nantucket Point(distribution-delaware) | Berlin, MD | 3 of 17 | 0.105 ppb | 500 |
| South Bethany* | Newark, DE | 3 of 17 | 0.105 ppb | 15,771 |
| Suez Water New Jersey Lambertville | Toms River, NJ | 2 of 2 | 0.105 ppb | 3,960 |
| Donovan/smith Mobile Home Park | Pittsford, DE | 1 of 3 | 0.0900 ppb | 369 |
| Avalon Woods Owners Association Inc. | Georgetown, DE | 1 of 2 | 0.0750 ppb | 306 |
| New Castle Water Works | Portsmouth, NH | 1 of 21 | 0.0714 ppb | 910 |
| Portsmouth Water Works* | Portsmouth, NH | 1 of 21 | 0.0714 ppb | 33,000 |
| Heritage Green Health Care Cen | Gerry, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.0670 ppb | 400 |
| Fox Hunter Crossing* | Newark, DE | 1 of 8 | 0.0629 ppb | 7,035 |
| Artesian Water Company* | Newark, DE | 7 of 123 | 0.0433 ppb | 301,000 |
| Collins/gowanda Correctional Facilities | Collins, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.0410 ppb | 3,948 |
| NJ Water Supply Authority Manasquan* | Allenwood, NJ | 1 of 3 | 0.0367 ppb | 30 |
| Deer Park City Of | Deer Park, WA | 1 of 5 | 0.0362 ppb | 4,390 |
| Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority* | Bayonne, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 63,000 |
| Wayne Township Division of Water | Wayne, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 55,000 |
| N.j.d.w.s.c. - Wanaque North* | Wanaque, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 150 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Di-n-butyl phthalate, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Clear WSC | San Marcos, TX | 3 of 12 | 0.700 ppb | 16,488 |
| North Perry Ave Water District | Bremerton, WA | 2 of 11 | 0.227 ppb | 18,818 |
| South Bethany* | Newark, DE | 3 of 17 | 0.105 ppb | 15,771 |
| Portsmouth Water Works* | Portsmouth, NH | 1 of 21 | 0.0714 ppb | 33,000 |
| Artesian Water Company* | Newark, DE | 7 of 123 | 0.0433 ppb | 301,000 |
| Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority* | Bayonne, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 63,000 |
| Kearny Water Department* | Orange, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 41,664 |
| Wayne Township Division of Water | Wayne, NJ | 2 of 3 | 0.0333 ppb | 55,000 |
| City of Newport* | Newport, RI | 2 of 116 | 0.0172 ppb | 42,000 |
| Portsmouth Water & Fire District | Portsmouth, RI | 2 of 116 | 0.0172 ppb | 16,864 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Di-n-butyl phthalate, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.