Styrene in Drinking Water
EPA limits, health effects, and what to do if your water is affected.
🩨 Health Effects
Long-term exposure above the MCL may cause liver, kidney, and circulatory system effects. Styrene is a possible human carcinogen based on animal studies.
📍 Sources in Water
An industrial monomer used to make plastics (polystyrene) and rubber. Enters water from discharge of rubber, plastics, and resin factories, and from fuel spills.
✅ What To Do
Activated carbon and reverse osmosis can remove styrene. Styrene violations in community water systems are relatively uncommon.
📜 Regulation History
The EPA set the styrene MCL at 0.1 mg/L (100 ppb) in 1991 under the Phase V rule. IARC classified styrene as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A) in 2018. The WHO guideline is 0.02 mg/L, significantly stricter than the US standard.
🔬 How To Test Your Water
Certified lab tests for styrene cost $50-$100 as part of a VOC panel (EPA Method 524.2). Home test kits are not available. Styrene has a sweet, chemical odor that may be noticeable at elevated levels in water.
💧 Which Filters Remove Styrene?
Granular activated carbon (GAC) filters are effective at removing styrene. Reverse osmosis also works. Air stripping at the municipal level is effective. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 certification for VOC reduction.
🔗 Related Contaminants
Check your tap water for Styrene
Search your ZIP code to see if your water system has had Styrene violations, plus lead testing results and an overall safety grade.
Search your ZIP code →Data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). MCLs reflect minimum federal standards; some contaminants may pose health risks below these thresholds.