Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene)
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Monochlorobenzene is used as a solvent for pesticides, a degreasing agent and an intermediate for manufacturing other chemicals. It causes liver and kidney damage in studies of laboratory animals.
2015-2017:
16
states detected
60
utilities detected
1.8 million
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 monochlorobenzene
Harm to the liver
Harm to the kidney
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 70 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 70 ppb for monochlorobenzene 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 harm to internal organs.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 100 ppb
The legal limit for monochlorobenzene, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1960s.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting monochlorobenzene in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| Florida | 21 | 1,115,037 | |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 265,173 | |
| Tennessee | 7 | 184,855 | |
| Kentucky | 8 | 129,964 | |
| New Jersey | 1 | 46,585 | |
| Connecticut | 1 | 37,267 | |
| South Carolina | 1 | 13,616 | |
| Ohio | 1 | 6,400 | |
| Georgia | 1 | 3,866 | |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 3,358 | |
| Arizona | 2 | 2,905 | |
| North Carolina | 1 | 2,881 | |
| Virginia | 2 | 2,195 | |
| Minnesota | 1 | 400 | |
| Louisiana | 1 | 342 | |
| Maryland | 1 | 60 | |
Filtering technologies that reduce monochlorobenzene
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of monochlorobenzene, 2015-2017
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hogansville | Hogansville, GA | 1 of 1 | 39.0 ppb | 3,866 |
| Palm Lakes Estates South | Riviera Bch, FL | 12 of 44 | 0.944 ppb | 700 |
| Riviera Beach Utility District* | Riviera Beach, FL | 12 of 44 | 0.944 ppb | 31,500 |
| Palm Lakes Estates North | Riviera Beach, FL | 12 of 44 | 0.944 ppb | 480 |
| Mallory Valley Utility Distric* | Franklin, TN | 3 of 5 | 0.753 ppb | 21,530 |
| Harpeth Valley Utility District* | Nashville, TN | 3 of 5 | 0.753 ppb | 59,392 |
| Mayo Center and Apartments | Annapolis, MD | 3 of 3 | 0.690 ppb | 60 |
| Carderview Utility District | Butler, TN | 1 of 1 | 0.629 ppb | 1,077 |
| City Of South Shore Water Works | South Shore, KY | 1 of 1 | 0.600 ppb | 6,798 |
| Rose Creek | Rose Creek, MN | 1 of 2 | 0.495 ppb | 400 |
| Dayton Water Department | Dayton, TN | 4 of 8 | 0.412 ppb | 26,125 |
| Elfrida Water Improvement District | Elfrida, AZ | 1 of 6 | 0.400 ppb | 800 |
| Venice Ranch Mobile Home Estates | Venice, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.360 ppb | 295 |
| Manchester By The Sea DPW | Manchester By The Sea, MA | 1 of 4 | 0.350 ppb | 5,664 |
| North Attleboro Water Department* | North Attleborough, MA | 1 of 19 | 0.326 ppb | 28,712 |
| Millbury Ind. Park/ Park Hill Village | Millbury, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 400 |
| Cherry Valley/ Rochdale Water District | Leicester, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 3,255 |
| Woodland Water District | Auburn, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 465 |
| Elm Hill Water District | Auburn, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 2,260 |
| Worcester Department of Public Works* | Worcester, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 181,045 |
| Paxton Water Department | Paxton, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 4,028 |
| Fairmont, Town of | Fairmont, NC | 1 of 8 | 0.263 ppb | 2,881 |
| Indiantown Company | Indiantown, FL | 1 of 2 | 0.250 ppb | 5,000 |
| Reflections Village | Richfield, WI | 1 of 6 | 0.200 ppb | 47 |
| Groveland Water Department | Groveland, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.167 ppb | 12,243 |
| South Mountain/wise County Public Service Authority | Wise, VA | 1 of 4 | 0.125 ppb | 209 |
| Pound, Town of* | Pound, VA | 1 of 4 | 0.125 ppb | 1,986 |
| West Mccracken County Water District | West Paducah, KY | 1 of 6 | 0.117 ppb | 4,410 |
| Paducah Water Works* | Paducah, KY | 1 of 6 | 0.117 ppb | 64,013 |
| Warsaw Water Works* | Warsaw, KY | 1 of 8 | 0.116 ppb | 2,114 |
| Needham Water Department (MWRA) | Needham, MA | 2 of 15 | 0.107 ppb | 32,285 |
| City of Camden* | Camden, SC | 1 of 7 | 0.1000 ppb | 13,616 |
| South Broward Utility/sunrise | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.0900 ppb | 9,457 |
| Fern Crest Utilities Inc. | Ft Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.0833 ppb | 4,643 |
| Paris Water Works* | Paris, KY | 1 of 10 | 0.0700 ppb | 14,479 |
| Kentucky American Water- Millersburg* | Lexington, KY | 1 of 10 | 0.0700 ppb | 1,366 |
| Bullock Pen Water District | Crittenden, KY | 1 of 9 | 0.0667 ppb | 20,048 |
| Waterloo Waterworks | Waterloo, WI | 1 of 14 | 0.0464 ppb | 3,311 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.0417 ppb | 128,729 |
| Marana Municipal - Airline Lambert | Tucsonc, AZ | 1 of 15 | 0.0400 ppb | 2,105 |
| Palm Beach County Water Utilities* | West Palm Beach, FL | 1 of 15 | 0.0393 ppb | 529,876 |
| Atlantis, City of | Atlantis, FL | 1 of 15 | 0.0393 ppb | 3,000 |
| Wallingford Water Department | Wallingford, CT | 1 of 17 | 0.0294 ppb | 37,267 |
| Milford City Public Water System | Milford, OH | 1 of 19 | 0.0263 ppb | 6,400 |
| City of Broussard Highway 90 Water System | Broussard, LA | 2 of 22 | 0.0255 ppb | 342 |
| Maynard DPW, Water Division | Maynard, MA | 1 of 22 | 0.0227 ppb | 10,314 |
| Mobile Manor Mobile Home Park | N. Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 482 |
| Gateway Services District | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 9,092 |
| Tamiami Village Mobile Home Park | N. Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 1,200 |
| Lee County Utilities* | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 236,944 |
* 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 Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera Beach Utility District* | Riviera Beach, FL | 12 of 44 | 0.944 ppb | 31,500 |
| Mallory Valley Utility Distric* | Franklin, TN | 3 of 5 | 0.753 ppb | 21,530 |
| Harpeth Valley Utility District* | Nashville, TN | 3 of 5 | 0.753 ppb | 59,392 |
| Dayton Water Department | Dayton, TN | 4 of 8 | 0.412 ppb | 26,125 |
| North Attleboro Water Department* | North Attleborough, MA | 1 of 19 | 0.326 ppb | 28,712 |
| Worcester Department of Public Works* | Worcester, MA | 1 of 6 | 0.317 ppb | 181,045 |
| Groveland Water Department | Groveland, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.167 ppb | 12,243 |
| Paducah Water Works* | Paducah, KY | 1 of 6 | 0.117 ppb | 64,013 |
| Needham Water Department (MWRA) | Needham, MA | 2 of 15 | 0.107 ppb | 32,285 |
| City of Camden* | Camden, SC | 1 of 7 | 0.1000 ppb | 13,616 |
| Paris Water Works* | Paris, KY | 1 of 10 | 0.0700 ppb | 14,479 |
| Bullock Pen Water District | Crittenden, KY | 1 of 9 | 0.0667 ppb | 20,048 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.0417 ppb | 128,729 |
| Palm Beach County Water Utilities* | West Palm Beach, FL | 1 of 15 | 0.0393 ppb | 529,876 |
| Wallingford Water Department | Wallingford, CT | 1 of 17 | 0.0294 ppb | 37,267 |
| Maynard DPW, Water Division | Maynard, MA | 1 of 22 | 0.0227 ppb | 10,314 |
| Lee County Utilities* | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 236,944 |
| United Water Camden | Camden, NJ | 2 of 21 | 0.00905 ppb | 46,585 |
| Clearwater Water System | Clearwater, FL | 1 of 16 | 0.00625 ppb | 110,000 |
| City of Stuart - Water Plant | Stuart, FL | 1 of 49 | 0.00592 ppb | 19,000 |
* 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 Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.