미국 환경보건국(EPA)이 공식적으로 미국 내 식수에서 스트론튬 규제에 대한 예비결정을 내렸다고 발표했다. 스트론튬은 초기단계에서 자연적으로 발생하는 성분으로, 칼슘을 충분히 섭취하지 못한 사람에게 뼈를 튼튼히 만들어주는 역할을 한다.

규제 결정은 EPA가 특별 오염물질을 규제하는 규칙제정 과정의 시도 여부에 대한 형식적인 결정이다. 식수안전법(SDWA)에 따르면 환경보건국은 오염물질 후보 리스트를 작성하고, 적어도 다섯 가지 오염물질에 대한 규제 결정을 해야 한다.

 

 

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it has officially made a preliminary determination to regulate strontium in U.S. drinking water. Strontium is a naturally occurring element that, at elevated levels, can impact bone strength in individuals who do not consume enough calcium.

 

A regulatory determination is a formal decision on whether EPA should initiate a rulemaking process to regulate a specific contaminant. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that every five years, the Agency develop a contaminant candidate list and then make a regulatory determination for at least five contaminants on the list.

 

 Based on available information, the agency has initially determined that strontium has adverse health effects. Strontium replaces calcium in bone, affecting skeletal development. Although strontium affects all life stages, infants, children and adolescents are of particular concern because their bones are developing. Strontium has been detected in 99 percent of public water systems and at levels of concern in 7 percent of public water systems in the country.

 

 Four other contaminants -- dimethoate, 1, 3 dinitrobenzene, terbufos and terbufos sulfone -- are either not found or are found at low levels of occurrence in public water systems, thus requiring no regulation at this time.

 

 These determinations are preliminary. EPA will evaluate public feedback following a 60-day public comment period and determine whether to issue a final determination to regulate strontium. If EPA makes such a determination, the Agency will begin the process of developing a proposed rule, with hopes of publishing the final regulatory determinations in 2015.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 10월 23일]