Contaminants

This information can help you learn more about contaminants in drinking water, make decisions about water testing, assess your personal health situation and understand options for water supply or treatment if needed.

Bacteria and Nitrate

• • Serious, immediate health effects possible
  • Common in Wisconsin
  • All public water systems do test for Bacteria [PDF] and Nitrate [PDF]
  • All private well users should test for Bacteria [PDF] and Nitrate [PDF]

Potential drinking water contaminants

• • May be found in groundwater, wells or drinking water
  • Health effects occur over time or affect individuals differently
  • Federal or state standards are set or a state health advisory level has been determined.

Some common contaminants are:

• • Arsenic
  • Copper [PDF]
  • Lead
  • Manganese
  • Radium [PDF]
  • VOCs - Volatile organic compounds [PDF]

Contaminants that can occur in Wisconsin:

A - C

• Acetochlor [exit DNR]
• Acetochlor ethane sulfonic acid + oxanilic acid
• Acetone [exit DNR]
• Acifluorfen (sodium) [exit DNR]
• Acrylamide [exit DNR]
• Acrylonitrile [exit DNR]
• Alachlor
• Alachlor ethane sulfonic acid (Alachlor-ESA)
• Aldicarb [exit DNR]
• Aldicarb Sulfone
• Aldicarb Sulfoxide
• Aldrin [exit DNR]
• Aluminum [exit DNR]
• Ametryn [exit DNR]
• 2-Amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2A-DNT)
• Ammonia (as N) [exit DNR]
• Ammonium sulfamate [exit DNR]
• Anthracene [PDF exit DNR]
• Antimony [exit DNR]
• Arsenic
• Asbestos [exit DNR]
• Atrazine, total chlorinated residues [exit DNR]
• Barium [exit DNR]
• Bayelton
• Baygon
• Bentazon [exit DNR]
• Benzene [exit DNR]
• Benzo(b)fluoranthene [PDF exit DNR]
• Benzo[g,h,i]perylene [exit DNR]
• Benzoic acid [exit DNR]
• Benzo(a)pyrene
• Beryllium [exit DNR]
• Beta particle and photon activity
• Bis-2-Chloroisopropyl ether [exit DNR]
• Boron [exit DNR]
• Bromacil [exit DNR]
• Bromate
• Bromobenzene [exit DNR]
• Bromochloromethane
• Bromodichloromethane [exit DNR]
• Bromoform (Tribromomethane) [exit DNR]
• Bromomethane [exit DNR]
• Butylate [exit DNR]
• Cadmium [exit DNR]
• Carbaryl [exit DNR]
• Carbofuran
• Carbon disulfide [exit DNR]
• Carbon tetrachloride [exit DNR]
• Carboxin [exit DNR]
• Chloramben
• Chloramine (Monochloramine)
• Chlordane [exit DNR]
• Chlorine [exit DNR]
• Chlorine dioxide [exit DNR]
• Chlorite
• Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)
• Chloroethane (Ethyl chloride) [exit DNR]
• Chloroform (Trichloromethane) [exit DNR]
• Chloromethane [exit DNR]
• 2-Chlorophenol [exit DNR]
• Chlorothalonil [exit DNR]
• Ortho-Chlorotoluene (2-Chlorotoluene) [exit DNR]
• Para-Chlorotoluene (4-Chlorotoluene) [exit DNR]
• Chlorpyrifos [exit DNR]
• Chromium-6 [exit DNR]
• Chromium, total [exit DNR]
• Chrysene [exit DNR]
• Clomazone (Dimethazone) [exit DNR]
• Cobalt [exit DNR]
• Copper [PDF]
• Cryptosporidium [PDF]
• Cyanazine [exit DNR]
• Cyanide, free [exit DNR]

D - F

• Dacthal (DCPA) [exit DNR]
• Dalapon
• Diazinon [exit DNR]
• Dibromoacetic acid (Dibromoacetate)
• Dibromochloromethane [exit DNR]
• 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) [exit DNR]
• 1,2-Dibromoethane (Ethylene dibromide/EDB) [exit DNR]
• Dibutyl phthalate [exit DNR]
• Dicamba [exit DNR]
• Dichloroacetic acid
• 1,2-Dichlorobenzene (o-Dichlorobenzene)
• 1,3-Dichlorobenzene (m-Dichlorobenzene) [exit DNR]
• 1,4-Dichlorobenzene (p-Dichlorobenzene)
• Dichlorodifluoromethane [exit DNR]
• 1,1-Dichloroethane [exit DNR]
• 1,2-Dichloroethane [exit DNR]
• 1,1-Dichloroethylene
• 1,2-Dichloroethylene (cis)
• 1,2-Dichloroethylene (trans)
• 2,4-Dichlorophenol [exit DNR]
• 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) [exit DNR]
• 1,2-Dichloropropane [exit DNR]
• 1,3-Dichloropropene (cis/trans) [exit DNR]
• Dicofol [exit DNR]
• Dieldrin [exit DNR]
• Di (2-ethylhexyl) adipate [exit DNR]
• Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [exit DNR]
• Diisopropyl methylphosphonate [exit DNR]
• Dimethenamid/Dimethinamid-P [exit DNR]
• Dimethrin [exit DNR]
• Dimethoate [exit DNR]
• Dimethyl methylphosphonate [exit DNR]
• 1,3-Dinitrobenzene [exit DNR]
• 2,4-Dinitrotoluene [exit DNR]
• 2,6-Dinitrotoluene [exit DNR]
• Dinitrotoluene (DNT), Total Residues [exit DNR]
• Dinoseb
• 1,4-Dioxane (p-Dioxane) [exit DNR]
• Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)
• Dioxins and Furans (Non 2,3,7,8)
• Diphenamid [exit DNR]
• Diquat
• Disulfoton [exit DNR]
• 1,4-Dithiane [exit DNR]
• Diuron [exit DNR]
• Endothall
• Endrin
• Eocine (Eosine OJ)
• Epichlorohydrin
• EPTC (Eptam) [exit DNR]
• Ethylbenzene [exit DNR]
• Ethyl Ether (Diethyl Ether) [exit DNR]
• Ethylene glycol [exit DNR]
• Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) [exit DNR]
• Fenamiphos [exit DNR]
• Fluometuron [exit DNR]
• Fluoranthene [exit DNR]
• Fluorene [exit DNR]
• Fluoride [exit DNR]
• Fluorotrichloromethane(Trichlorofluoromethane) [exit DNR]
• Fonofos [exit DNR]
• Formaldehyde [exit DNR]

G - I

• Glyphosate
• Gross alpha particle activity
• Heptachlor [exit DNR]
• Heptachlor epoxide [exit DNR]
• Hexachlorobenzene [exit DNR]
• Hexachlorobutadiene [exit DNR]
• Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD) [exit DNR]
• Hexachloroethane [exit DNR]
• n-Hexane [exit DNR]
• 2-Hexanone [exit DNR]
• Hexazinone [exit DNR]
• HMX [exit DNR]
• Hydrogen sulfide [exit DNR]
• Indeno[1,2,3-CD]Pyrene [exit DNR]
• Iron [PDF]
• Iron bacteria [PDF]
• Isophorone [exit DNR]
• Isopropyl methylphosphonate (IMPA)
• Isopropanol (Isopropyl alcohol) [exit DNR]

J - M

• Lead
• Lindane (Gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane)
• Malathion [exit DNR]
• Maleic hydrazide [exit DNR]
• MCPA (2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) [exit DNR]
• Manganese
• Mercury [exit DNR]
• Methacrylonitrile [exit DNR]
• Methanol [exit DNR]
• Methomyl [exit DNR]
• Methoxychlor [exit DNR]
• Methylene chloride (Dichloromethane) [exit DNR]
• Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) [exit DNR]
• Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) [exit DNR]
• Methyl parathion [exit DNR]
• 4-Methylphenol (p-Cresol) [exit DNR]
• Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) [exit DNR]
• Metolachlor/s-Metolachlor [exit DNR]
• Metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid + oxanilic acid
• Metribuzin [exit DNR]
• Molybdenum
• Monobromoacetic acid (Bromoacetic acid) [exit DNR]
• Monochloroacetic acid [exit DNR]
• Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene) [exit DNR]
• Monuron [exit DNR]

N - P

• Naphthalene [exit DNR]
• Nickel [exit DNR]
• Nitrobenzene [exit DNR]
• Nitroguanidine [exit DNR]
• p-Nitrophenol [exit DNR]
• N-Nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPA) [exit DNR]
• m-Nitrotoluene (3-Nitrotoluene) [exit DNR]
• o-Nitrotoluene (2-Nitrotoluene) [exit DNR]
• p-Nitrotoluene (4-Nitrotoluene) [exit DNR]
• Oxamyl (Vydate)
• Paraquat [exit DNR]
• Pentachlorophenol (PCP) [exit DNR]
• Perchlorate [exit DNR]
• Pesticides [PDF]
• Phenol [exit DNR]
• Phloxine B
• Picloram
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [exit DNR]
• Prometon [exit DNR]
• Pronamide [exit DNR]
• Propachlor [exit DNR]
• Propazine [exit DNR]
• Propham
• Propylene glycol [exit DNR]
• Pyrene [exit DNR]
• Pyridine [exit DNR]

Q - T

• Radium [PDF]
• Radon
• RDX [exit DNR]
• Selenium [exit DNR]
• Silver [exit DNR]
• Simazine
• Strontium [exit DNR]
• Styrene [exit DNR]
• Sulfur bacteria [PDF]
• Tebuthiuron [exit DNR]
• Terbacil [exit DNR]
• Terbufos [exit DNR]
• Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (TBA) [exit DNR]
• 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane (1,1,1,2-PCA) [exit DNR]
• 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (1,1,2,2-PCA) [exit DNR]
• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) [exit DNR]
• Tetrahydrofuran [exit DNR]
• Thallium [exit DNR]
• Toluene [exit DNR]
• Toxaphene [exit DNR]
• Trichloroacetic acid [exit DNR]
• 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
• 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene [exit DNR]
• 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA)
• 1,1,2-Trichloroethane [exit DNR]
• Trichlorophenol [exit DNR]
• Trichloroethylene (TCE) [PDF exit DNR]
• 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxypropoinic acid(2,4,5-TP/Silvex)
• 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) [exit DNR]
• 1,2,3-Trichloropropane [exit DNR]
• 1,1,2-Trifluorotrichloroethane (CFC-113) [exit DNR]
• Trifluralin [exit DNR]
• Trimethylbenzenes (1,2,4- + 1,3,5- combined)
• Trinitroglycerol (Nitroglycerin) [exit DNR]
• 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene [exit DNR]
• Turpentine [exit DNR]

U - Z

• Uranium [exit DNR]
• Vanadium [exit DNR]
• Vinyl chloride [exit DNR]
• Volatile organic compounds [PDF]
• White phosphorous [exit DNR]
• Xylenes (Total: m-, o-, p- combined) [exit DNR]
• Zinc [exit DNR]

Look up contaminants in drinking water supplies

• Contaminants in public water supplies

More information

• Wisconsin Health Services contaminants information [exit DNR]
• Federal ToxFAQs [exit DNR]
• Summary of all contaminant levels