Water and Wastewater Terms Beginning P

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priority pollutants

The EPA has proposed a list of 126 priority toxic pollutants. These substances are an environmental hazard and may be present in water. Because of the known or suspected hazards of these pollutants, industrial users of the substances are subject to regulation. The toxicity to humans may be substantiated by human epidemiological studies or based on effects on laboratory animals related to carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, teratogenicity, or reproduction. Toxicity to fish and wildlife may be related to either acute or chronic effects on the organisms themselves or to humans by bioaccumulation in food fish. Persistence (including mobility and degradability) and treatability are also important factors.