DEP Searching For Source Of Bromide In Mon River

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is searching for the source of bromide in the Monongahela River.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University tell the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review they found the chemical combined in higher than usual levels with sanitizing chemicals used in drinking water pulled from the river.

Bromide is found naturally in sea water and some underground rock formation, but can also result from natural gas and oil well drilling. It's not necessarily dangerous by itself, but combined with chlorine used to make water safe for drinking it creates a byproduct that can cause cancer.

If levels of those byproducts continue to be found, they could violate federal safe drinking water standards.