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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Hempstead

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

168

Samples

1

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

11

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
20140.0603 ppb313ND - 0.770 ppb
2015ND280ND
2016ND290ND
2017ND260ND
2018ND250ND
20190.480 ppb298ND - 5.80 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 5 ppb

The legal limit for tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-291401C35-001A-POCND
2014-01-291401C34-001A-POCND
2014-02-201402A09-001A-POCND
2014-02-251402D21-001A-POCND
2014-03-041403148-001A-POCND
2014-03-041403146-001A-POC0.510 ppb
2014-03-181403C85-001A-POCND
2014-04-081404597-001A-POCND
2014-04-221404F92-001A-POCND
2014-05-131405930-001A-POCND
2014-05-201405E41-001A-POCND
2014-06-031406165-001-POCSND
2014-06-031406165-001A-POCND
2014-06-041406286-001A-POCND
2014-06-101406726-001-POCSND
2014-06-101406742-001A-POCND
2014-07-011407063-001A-POCND
2014-07-091407606-001A-POCND
2014-08-191408D09-001A-POCND
2014-08-261408I76-001A-POCND
2014-09-091409644-005-POCSND
2014-09-171409D22-001A-POCND
2014-09-171409D20-001-POCS0.590 ppb
2014-09-231409I14-001A-POCND
2014-10-071410472-001A-POCND
2014-10-151410A28-001A-POCND
2014-11-131411911-001-POCSND
2014-11-181411C27-002-POCS0.770 ppb
2014-11-181411C31-002-POCSND
2014-12-101412803-002-POCSND
2014-12-161412C20-001-POCSND
2015-01-211501C73-001-POCSND
2015-01-281501F99-001-POCSND
2015-02-101502561-001-POCSND
2015-02-181502A85-001ND
2015-03-031503137-002ND
2015-03-101503603-001ND
2015-03-101503604-001ND
2015-04-281504L26-002ND
2015-04-281504L26-001ND
2015-05-051505272-001ND
2015-05-131505930-001ND
2015-06-161506D01-001-POCSND
2015-06-241506J59-005-POCSND
2015-06-241506J59-001-POCSND
2015-07-071507435-001-POCSND
2015-07-211507F25-001-POCSND
2015-08-181508E19-001-POCSND
2015-09-021509051-001-POCSND
2015-09-101509779-001-POCSND
2015-09-151509A46-001-POCSND
2015-09-221509G69-002-POCSND
2015-10-201510F13-001-POCSND
2015-10-271510K26-001-POCSND
2015-11-121511A11-001-POCSND
2015-11-171511D02-001-POCSND
2015-12-091512828-001-POCSND
2015-12-151512C85-001-POCSND
2015-12-151512C79-002-POCSND
2016-01-121601669-001-POCSND
2016-01-201601D57-POCSND
2016-02-171602C78-001-POCSND
2016-02-231602G61-001-POCSND
2016-03-081603590-001-POCSND
2016-03-151603C43-002-POCSND
2016-03-231603I82-001-POCSND
2016-04-051604352-001-POCSND
2016-04-191604H89-001-POCSND
2016-05-101605871-001-POCSND
2016-05-171605F36-001-POCSND
2016-06-141606D52-001-POCSND
2016-06-141606D50-001-POCSND
2016-06-211606L63-001-POCSND
2016-07-061607390-001-POCSND
2016-07-191607F04-001-POCSND
2016-08-031608389-001-POCSND
2016-08-161608F38-001-POCSND
2016-09-071609469-001-POCSND
2016-09-131609902-002-POCSND
2016-09-271609N43-001ND
2016-10-04701150001-POCSND
2016-10-18702313001ND
2016-11-09704075001-POCSND
2016-11-22705406001ND
2016-12-06706091001-POCSND
2016-12-137013417001-POCSND
2016-12-13706740001-POCSND
2016-12-20707347005-POCSND
2017-01-0470825003-POCSND
2017-01-18709353001-POCSND
2017-02-077010730001-POCSND
2017-02-227011881001-POCSND
2017-03-217013852001-POCSND
2017-04-117015515001-POCSND
2017-04-187016167001-POCSND
2017-05-027017451001-POCSND
2017-05-237019308003ND
2017-06-067020501001ND
2017-06-147021347001ND
2017-06-277022533001ND
2017-06-277022528001ND
2017-07-117023666001ND
2017-07-187024503001ND
2017-08-017025832001ND
2017-08-227027938001ND
2017-09-127029635001ND
2017-09-197030331001-POCSND
2017-09-197030329002-POCSND
2017-10-037031709001ND
2017-10-247033856001ND
2017-11-087035209001ND
2017-11-087035206002ND
2017-12-057036295001ND
2017-12-197038532001ND
2018-01-097039903001ND
2018-01-237041070001ND
2018-02-127042800002ND
2018-02-217043500001ND
2018-02-277044000001ND
2018-03-147045271001ND
2018-03-147046546001ND
2018-03-207045783001ND
2018-04-107047832001ND
2018-04-257049555001ND
2018-05-087050947001ND
2018-06-127054603001ND
2018-08-077060661006ND
2018-08-217062347001ND
2018-08-287063048001ND
2018-09-057063737001ND
2018-09-127064529001ND
2018-09-187065194001ND
2018-10-167068129001ND
2018-10-237068807001ND
2018-11-147071100001ND
2018-11-277072025001ND
2018-12-117073509001ND
2018-12-197074395001ND
2018-12-197074394001ND
2019-01-157076614001ND
2019-01-237077375001ND
2019-02-057078466001ND
2019-02-057078470001ND
2019-02-207080153001ND
2019-03-057081281001ND
2019-03-197082761001ND
2019-04-027084186001ND
2019-04-237086905001ND
2019-04-307087613002ND
2019-05-077088385001ND
2019-05-147089380002ND
2019-05-217090323001ND
2019-06-047092029001ND
2019-06-197094366001ND
2019-07-0270961000010.560 ppb
2019-07-247098718001ND
2019-08-0670100113000.710 ppb
2019-08-1270101133003ND
2019-08-20701020880010.630 ppb
2019-09-04701036620010.540 ppb
2019-09-2570106222001ND
2019-10-02701070090010.870 ppb
2019-10-1670108640001ND
2019-10-2970109994001ND
2019-11-07701111250015.80 ppb
2019-11-19701123850014.30 ppb
2019-11-2670113202001ND
2019-12-24701163700010.510 ppb