National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
m-Dichlorobenzene
Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
m-Dichlorobenzene is used as a fumigant, an insecticide, and an intermediate in agrochemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing; it may form as a byproduct of water disinfection.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 7 |
- |
- |
| Water utilities | 14 |
- |
- |
| People Served | 28,451 |
- |
- |
Health Concerns for m-Dichlorobenzene:
- Occupational hazards
- Cancer
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
- Ecotoxicology
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
m-Dichlorobenzene Exposure by State
Water utilities in 7 states have reported detecting m-Dichlorobenzene in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with m-Dichlorobenzene contamination | |
|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | |
| New Jersey | 3 | 17,303 |
| New York | 4 | 6,020 |
| Missouri | 1 | 2,779 |
| Virginia | 3 | 1,918 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 210 |
| Vermont | 1 | 126 |
| Indiana | 1 | 95 |
| Total | 14 | 28,451 |
The Most Polluted Communities
14 water utilities reported detecting m-Dichlorobenzene in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average m-Dichlorobenzene level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coburn Mhp Clarendon, VT | 126 | 5 of 6 | 1.52 ppb (0 to 2.2 ppb) |
| 2 | Mont Vernon Village School NH | 210 | 1 of 2 | 1.3 ppb (0 to 2.6 ppb) |
| 3 | Wappingers Falls Mobile Home P Wappingers Falls, NY | 115 | 1 of 1 | 0.6 ppb (0.6 ppb) |
| 4 | Bedford Hills/Taconic Corr. Facilities Bedford Hills, NY | 1,100 | 1 of 1 | 0.5 ppb (0.5 ppb) |
| 5 | Pine Ridge Zionsville, IN | 95 | 2 of 5 | 0.38 ppb (0 to 1 ppb) |
| 6 | Berrymans Branch Mobile HM P Vineland, NJ | 550 | 1 of 4 | 0.22 ppb (0 to 0.89 ppb) |
| 7 | Wild Oaks Water Company Rockport, NY | 805 | 1 of 3 | 0.17 ppb (0 to 0.5 ppb) |
| 8 | Hoosick Falls (V) Pws Hoosick Falls, NY | 4,000 | 1 of 15 | 0.16 ppb (0 to 2.4 ppb) |
| 9 | Fluvanna Correctional Center For Women Troy, VA | 1,650 | 1 of 5 | 0.14 ppb (0 to 0.7 ppb) |
| 10 | Malaga Villa Apartments Malaga, NJ | 100 | 1 of 4 | 0.13 ppb (0 to 0.53 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for m-Dichlorobenzene
| Standard | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria | Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 320 ppb |
| Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk | Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for a lifetime of exposure. The Lifetime health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is based on exposure for a a 70-kg adult consuming 2 liters of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 600 ppb |
| Health-Based Screening Level | A benchmark concentration of contaminants in water that may be of potential concern for human health, if exceeded. For noncarcinogens, the HBSL represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse effects over a lifetime of exposure. For carcinogens, the HBSL range represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that corresponds to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 chance in 1 million to 1 chance in 10 thousand. Source: U.S. Geological Survey. | 600 ppb |
| Drinking Water Equivalent Level | A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from drinking water. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 3000 ppb |
| Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure | Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 9000 ppb |
| Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure | Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 9000 ppb |
Testing Summary for m-Dichlorobenzene
| Are tests routinely required for m-Dichlorobenzene by federal law? | No |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for m-Dichlorobenzene (2004-2009): | 21,039 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.6 per year |
Occupational hazards
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutagenesis 1987 |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 8973 |
| Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Classified as toxic or harmful | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | New Jersey Department of Health Services |
| Limited evidence of cardiovascular or blood toxicity | New Jersey Department of Health Services |
| Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | New Jersey Department of Health Services |
| Limited evidence of kidney toxicity | New Jersey Department of Health Services |
| One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Ecotoxicology
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | 1,3-DICHLORBENZENE | •Harmful •Harmful if swallowed •Dangerous for the environment •Toxic to aquatic organisms |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Priority water pollutant under the Clean Water Act |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | BENZENE, 1,3-DICHLORO- | •This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Group D: Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity (EPA classification) |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | META-DICHLOROBENZENE | •IARC Group 3 (no cancer link) |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | 1,3DICHLOROBENZENE | •Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs |
| New Jersey Department of Health Services | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Respiratory toxicity hazards: suspected |
| New Jersey Department of Health Services | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards: suspected |
| New Jersey Department of Health Services | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards: suspected |
| New Jersey Department of Health Services | 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | •Kidney toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- Mutagenesis 1987 | 1,3-DICHLORBENZENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Micronucleus test (mouse ipr) |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 8973 | 1,3-DICHLORBENZENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Gene Conversion and Mitotic Recombination (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP. |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines. |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures). |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | New Jersey Department of Health Services. Right to Know Program, NJDOH, Trenton, NJ. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/rtkhsfs.htm |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | New Jersey Department of Health Services. Right to Know Program, NJDOH, Trenton, NJ. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/rtkhsfs.htm |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | New Jersey Department of Health Services. Right to Know Program, NJDOH, Trenton, NJ. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/rtkhsfs.htm |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | New Jersey Department of Health Services. Right to Know Program, NJDOH, Trenton, NJ. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/rtkhsfs.htm |
| RTECS®- Mutagenesis 1987 | RTECS®- Mutagenesis. (Oxford Univ. Press, Pinkhill House, Southfield Road, Eynsham, Oxford OX8 1JJ, UK) V.1- 2,111,1987 |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 8973 | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service. (Springfield, VA 22161) Formerly U.S. Clearinghouse for Scientific & Technical Information. PB84-138973 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.