Question:
The giant food moguls via the food standards agency seem intent on hushingup the acrylamide story. There seems to be a playing down of risk in a moveuncannily similar to the early days of the nicotine in tobacco story.Anyone familiar with acrylamide will know that this is one extremely noxioussubstance. It is imperative that the food industry is answerable withregards to this. It may mean radical and expensive changes in the foodproduction process. It may mean Acrylamide Level Warnings on the food weeat...but change must come. I strongly suspect that there will be a closecorrellation between acrylamide through food exposure and general cancerrates. A whole raft of fully independant scientific studies have to becarried out. It is obvious that any delay will come back in the form oflegal actions against the food industry. The parallels between nicotine intobacco and acrlyamide in the foods we eat are obvious and disturbing.Debate needs to be opened up on this issue and it should not be left to diequietly. Anyone with interesting comments with regards this matter shouldpost them on to their local MPs amongst others.

Answer: As part of the Drinking Water and Health pages, this fact sheet is partof a larger publication:National Primary Drinking Water RegulationsConsumer Factsheet on: ACRYLAMIDE

This is a factsheet about a chemical that may be found in some public orprivate drinking water supplies. It may cause health problems if foundin amounts greater than the health standard set by the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is Acrylamide and how is it used?

Acrylamide is an organic solid of white, odorless, flake-like crystals.The greatest use of acrylamide is as a coagulant aid in drinking watertreatment. Other uses of include: to improve production from oil wells;in making organic chemicals and dyes; in the sizing of paper andtextiles; in ore processing; in the construction of dam foundations andtunnels.

The list of trade names given below may help you find out whether youare using this chemical at home or work.

Trade Names and Synonyms:

2-PropenamideAcrylic amideEthylenecarboxamideAmresco Acryl-40AcrylagelOptimum

Why is Acrylamide being Regulated?

In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requiresEPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water which do ormay cause health problems. These non-enforceable levels, based solely onpossible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum Contaminant LevelGoals.

The MCLG for acrylamide has been set at zero because EPA believes thislevel of protection would not cause any of the potential health problemsdescribed below.

There are currently no acceptable means of detecting acrylamide indrinking water. In this case, EPA is requiring water suppliers to use aspecial treatment technique to control its amount in water. Sinceacrylamide is used in drinking water treatment processes, it is beingcontrolled simply by limiting its use for this purpose.

These drinking water standards and the regulations for ensuring thesestandards are met, are called National Primary Drinking WaterRegulations. All public water supplies must abide by these regulations.

What are the Health Effects?

Short-term: EPA has found acrylamide to potentially cause the followinghealth effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the MCL forrelatively short periods of time: damage to the nervous system, weaknessand incoordination in the legs.

Long-term: Acrylamide has the potential to cause the following effectsfrom a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: damage to the nervoussystem, paralysis; cancer.

How much Acrylamide is produced and released to the environment?

Demand for acrylamide in the early 1990s was about 120 million pounds.The main source of concern for acrylamide in drinking water is from itsuse as a clarifier during water treatment. When added to water, itcoagulates and traps suspended solids for easier removal. However, someacrylamide does not coagulate and remains in the water as a contaminant.Improvements in the production and use of acrylamide have made itpossible to control this contamination to acceptable levels. From 1987 to 1993, according to EPA's Toxic Chemical Release Inventory,acrylamide releases to land and water totalled over 40,000 lbs. Thesereleases were primarily from plastics industries. The largest releasesoccurred in Michigan.