These days TEPAK is taking samples from both Greek and Cypriot and other bottled waters circulating in Cyprus to determine whether there are any that directly threaten public health, given that the chemicals contained in hexavalent chromium are carcinogenic to man.
All samples will be analyzed in the laboratories of TEPAK and the results of the measurements will be communicated to the competent government agencies.
It is noted that at TEPAK they have started working on the method of analysis of hexavalent chromium in water for a quarter of a year and everything is now ready for the investigation to begin.
It should be noted that there is no limit set at Community level for hexavalent chromium and the EU does not intend to impose parametric values. Member States to set values for the additional parameters, where the protection of human health in their territories or parts of them requires it.
In Europe the only country that has set a limit is Italy with 5ppb. One of the best-known examples, on which the movie "Erin Brockovich" was based, was the hexavalent chromium contamination of an area of California by a multinational company. In the end, the locals secured a large amount of compensation, but not the enactment of a relevant law - although US scientists set the permissible concentration of hexavalent chromium at 0,02ppb.
It is noted that last July the Environmental Protection Service in California set a safety target of human health of 0,02 ppb, while the Court of First Instance of Chalkida set the limit of 2 ppb, which concerned only the former Municipality of Messapia.
Since 2008, it is considered, according to the US National Toxicology Program, to be extremely dangerous to humans if swallowed.
According to scientists, when hexavalent chromium is obtained with the help of pure drinking water, it is absorbed into the blood at higher levels than trivalent, with the result that only a certain amount of hexavalent is reduced with the help of gastric biological fluids and thus remains and an unchanged amount of hexavalent chromium, which causes carcinogenesis.
Source: FILELEFTHEROS