STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES
BUREAU FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
Commissioner’s Office
350 Capitol Street, Room 702
Charleston, West Virginia 25301-3712
Telephone: (304) 558-2971 Fax: (304) 558-1035


Contact:
304-558-8055
westvirginiajic@wv.gov

WATER ADVISORY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health advises, after consultation with
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this evening,
that the CDC recommends—out of an abundance of caution—that pregnant
women drink bottled water until there are no longer detectable levels of
MCHM in the water distribution system. However, the CDC re-affirmed
previous advice that it does not anticipate any adverse health effects from
levels less than 1 ppm.

It appears the new information prompted the CDC recommendation that West Virginia consider advising pregnant women to avoid drinking the water, which raises the question as to whether the new animal studies suggest a potential for developmental toxicity or a related effect.

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Questions have already been raised on this blog about the lack of data on this chemical and the methodology used by government officials to calculate the 1 ppm level. This new development, however, I believe lends even greater weight to the need for immediate public release of both all available studies and the methodology.