p-Dichlorobenzene
Status: National drinking water standard exists
p-Dichlorobenzene is a carcinogenic insecticide used in mothballs, and added to deodorant blocks made for trash cans and toilets. Long-term exposure can cause liver damage and kidney problems.
2017-2019:
23
states detected
127
utilities detected
770,000
people served
0
states over health guideline
0
utilities over health guideline
0
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for p-dichlorobenzene
Cancer
Harm to the liver
Harm to the kidney
Harm to the thyroid
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 6 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 6 ppb for p-dichlorobenzene 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) 75 ppb
The legal limit for p-dichlorobenzene, established in 1987, was based on toxicity studies conducted in laboratory animals in the 1980s. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to p-dichlorobenzene exposure.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting p-dichlorobenzene in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| Florida | 27 | 393,860 | |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 67,678 | |
| Missouri | 23 | 66,535 | |
| Louisiana | 14 | 49,591 | |
| Alabama | 2 | 42,669 | |
| Iowa | 8 | 38,872 | |
| Texas | 3 | 22,734 | |
| South Carolina | 5 | 22,505 | |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 15,650 | |
| Ohio | 2 | 14,800 | |
| New York | 13 | 9,654 | |
| Nebraska | 1 | 7,289 | |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 4,955 | |
| Minnesota | 2 | 4,250 | |
| North Carolina | 1 | 2,837 | |
| Washington | 3 | 2,334 | |
| Mississippi | 2 | 2,130 | |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 1,200 | |
| Kansas | 2 | 430 | |
| Vermont | 1 | 126 | |
| Delaware | 1 | 126 | |
| Arizona | 1 | 107 | |
| Maryland | 1 | 85 | |
Filtering technologies that reduce p-dichlorobenzene
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of p-dichlorobenzene, 2017-2019
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roland Water Supply | Roland, IA | 9 of 13 | 4.57 ppb | 1,284 |
| Duffey's Trailer Park | Plant City, FL | 3 of 6 | 4.02 ppb | 85 |
| Webster City Water Supply | Webster City, IA | 1 of 4 | 3.00 ppb | 8,085 |
| Langdon, City of | Langdon, ND | 2 of 3 | 2.50 ppb | 1,878 |
| Brown Deer Waterworks | Brown Deer, WI | 1 of 1 | 2.20 ppb | 12,741 |
| Greenleaf Waterworks | Greenleaf, WI | 5 of 8 | 1.35 ppb | 650 |
| Greendale Waterworks | Greendale, WI | 20 of 20 | 1.28 ppb | 14,046 |
| Catalpa Grove Mobile Home Park | Springfield, OH | 1 of 4 | 1.07 ppb | 27 |
| Paradise Park Mobile Home Court | Tonganoxie, KS | 1 of 6 | 0.983 ppb | 110 |
| Carter Lake Water District* | Carter Lake, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.800 ppb | 3,785 |
| Iacl Lakeside Mobile Home Park Llc | Carter Lake, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.800 ppb | 823 |
| Northwoods Estates | Evans Mills, NY | 1 of 3 | 0.767 ppb | 315 |
| Rector Waterworks | Rector, AR | 6 of 24 | 0.758 ppb | 1,977 |
| Aqua Pa Oneida | White Haven, PA | 2 of 9 | 0.756 ppb | 568 |
| Belmont Water Department/north | Merrimack, NH | 3 of 10 | 0.750 ppb | 150 |
| Laconia Water Works* | Laconia, NH | 3 of 10 | 0.750 ppb | 15,500 |
| Gbra Luling Plant* | Seguin, TX | 5 of 6 | 0.733 ppb | 0 |
| City of Luling | Luling, TX | 5 of 6 | 0.733 ppb | 7,364 |
| Bogue Chitto Water Association | Bogue Chitto, MS | 16 of 46 | 0.674 ppb | 2,160 |
| Golovin Community Water System | Golovin, AK | 2 of 10 | 0.603 ppb | 150 |
| Garwood Community Water | Covel, WV | 1 of 1 | 0.570 ppb | 55 |
| Coburn Mobile Home Park | Montpelier, VT | 5 of 7 | 0.529 ppb | 126 |
| Ausable Heights Water System | Keeseville, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.500 ppb | 46 |
| Winebrook Hills Water District | Newcomb, NY | 1 of 4 | 0.500 ppb | 250 |
| Lewis County Public Water Supply District 1* | Ewing, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 1,688 |
| Perry PWS | Perry, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 694 |
| Farber PWS | Farber, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 450 |
| Wellsville PWS | Wellsville, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 1,270 |
| Curryville PWS | Curryville, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 255 |
| Shelbyville PWS | Shelbyville, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 552 |
| Lewistown PWS | Lewistown, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 580 |
| La Belle PWS | La Belle, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 660 |
| Edina PWS | Edina, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 1,153 |
| Clarence Cannon Wholesale Water Commission* | Stoutsville, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 25 |
| Huntsville PWS | Huntsville, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 1,563 |
| Thomas Hill PWSD 1* | Moberly, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 10,315 |
| Monroe County Public Water Supply District 2 | Paris, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 6,677 |
| Paris PWS | Paris, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 1,250 |
| Madison PWS | Madison, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 554 |
| New London PWS | New London, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 975 |
| Keokuk Municipal Water Works* | Keokuk, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.480 ppb | 10,780 |
| Farragut Water Supply | Farragut, IA | 1 of 2 | 0.450 ppb | 485 |
| Boone Water Works* | Boone, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.440 ppb | 12,909 |
| Sunrise Mobile Home Park | Madrid, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.440 ppb | 95 |
| Logansport Water District #1 | Ft Dodge, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.440 ppb | 150 |
| Xenia Rural Water District (boone)* | Bouton, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.440 ppb | 4,055 |
| Fonda Water Supply | Fonda, IA | 2 of 3 | 0.433 ppb | 666 |
| Osceola Water Works* | Osceola, IA | 2 of 4 | 0.425 ppb | 4,929 |
| Sirwa #3 (osceola) | Creston, IA | 2 of 4 | 0.425 ppb | 2,573 |
| Green Acres | Lithia, FL | 2 of 5 | 0.420 ppb | 45 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report p-Dichlorobenzene, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Deer Waterworks | Brown Deer, WI | 1 of 1 | 2.20 ppb | 12,741 |
| Greendale Waterworks | Greendale, WI | 20 of 20 | 1.28 ppb | 14,046 |
| Laconia Water Works* | Laconia, NH | 3 of 10 | 0.750 ppb | 15,500 |
| Thomas Hill PWSD 1* | Moberly, MO | 5 of 10 | 0.499 ppb | 10,315 |
| Keokuk Municipal Water Works* | Keokuk, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.480 ppb | 10,780 |
| Boone Water Works* | Boone, IA | 3 of 5 | 0.440 ppb | 12,909 |
| Howard Waterworks | Green Bay, WI | 2 of 7 | 0.356 ppb | 18,900 |
| City of Jennings Water System | Jennings, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.157 ppb | 10,365 |
| SIRWA #2 (Creston)* | Creston, IA | 1 of 4 | 0.125 ppb | 18,510 |
| Worcester Department of Public Works* | Worcester, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.117 ppb | 181,045 |
| City of Abbeville Water System | Abbeville, LA | 4 of 12 | 0.1000 ppb | 15,012 |
| Port Washington Waterworks | Port Washington, WI | 1 of 2 | 0.1000 ppb | 11,762 |
| Denville Twp Water Department | Denville, NJ | 7 of 56 | 0.0964 ppb | 15,881 |
| Riviera Beach Utility District* | Riviera Beach, FL | 6 of 47 | 0.0929 ppb | 34,700 |
| Cudahy Waterworks | Cudahy, WI | 3 of 7 | 0.0929 ppb | 18,659 |
| Racine Waterworks* | Racine, WI | 1 of 3 | 0.0733 ppb | 105,100 |
| Winslow Township DMU* | Braddock, NJ | 8 of 29 | 0.0438 ppb | 39,174 |
| Floyd County | Rome, GA | 1 of 18 | 0.0306 ppb | 41,738 |
| City of Hereford | Hereford, TX | 1 of 25 | 0.0260 ppb | 15,370 |
| North Attleboro Water Department* | North Attleborough, MA | 1 of 37 | 0.0224 ppb | 28,712 |
| Whitewater Waterworks | Whitewater, WI | 6 of 107 | 0.0197 ppb | 14,000 |
| US Army Aviation and Missile Command | Redstone Arsenal, AL | 1 of 13 | 0.0195 ppb | 38,700 |
| Gateway Services District | Fort Myers, FL | 2 of 18 | 0.0183 ppb | 12,717 |
| Lee County Utilities* | Fort Myers, FL | 2 of 18 | 0.0183 ppb | 251,502 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 14 | 0.0179 ppb | 127,700 |
| City of Stuart - Water Plant | Stuart, FL | 12 of 214 | 0.0178 ppb | 19,000 |
| Janesville Water Utility | Janesville, WI | 3 of 27 | 0.0170 ppb | 62,720 |
| Wallingford Water Department | Wallingford, CT | 1 of 35 | 0.0143 ppb | 37,267 |
| United Water Camden | Camden, NJ | 5 of 45 | 0.0136 ppb | 46,585 |
| MDWASA/REX Utilities | Miami, FL | 1 of 28 | 0.0129 ppb | 45,200 |
| City of Youngsville Purchase Ws | Youngsville, LA | 4 of 82 | 0.0122 ppb | 14,259 |
| LPWDN North Region | Lafayette, LA | 4 of 82 | 0.0122 ppb | 17,202 |
| LPWD South | Maurice, LA | 4 of 82 | 0.0122 ppb | 13,089 |
| Lafayette Utilities Water System* | Lafayette, LA | 4 of 82 | 0.0122 ppb | 175,566 |
| Peoples Water Service Company | Pensacola, FL | 1 of 249 | 0.00117 ppb | 24,081 |
| Monroe Twp MUA | Williamstown, NJ | 3 of 296 | 0.00115 ppb | 26,179 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report p-Dichlorobenzene, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.