1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

Ontario Municipal Utilities Company

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

136

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.0191 ppb	47	24	ND - 0.0770 ppb
2015	0.0254 ppb	17	15	ND - 0.0490 ppb
2016	0.0175 ppb	4	2	ND - 0.0400 ppb
2017	0.0139 ppb	33	20	ND - 0.0380 ppb
2018	0.0262 ppb	12	11	ND - 0.0370 ppb
2019	0.0220 ppb	23	20	ND - 0.0390 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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) 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-05-21	4790-043-0900	0.0770 ppb
2014-05-21	4790-044-1000	0.0570 ppb
2014-05-21	4790-746-0900	0.0760 ppb
2014-06-05	4790-047-1220	0.0590 ppb
2014-06-05	4790-745-1100	0.0530 ppb
2014-06-19	4790-047-1045	0.0510 ppb
2014-07-11	4790-017-0925	ND
2014-07-11	4790-020-1020	ND
2014-07-11	4790-045-0825	ND
2014-07-14	4790-046-0800	ND
2014-07-14	4790-048-0910	ND
2014-07-15	4790-046-0845	ND
2014-07-15	4790-048-1015	ND
2014-07-16	4790-041-0745	ND
2014-07-18	4790-027-0930	ND
2014-07-18	4790-042-0900	ND
2014-07-24	4790-029-0830	ND
2014-07-24	4790-031-0915	ND
2014-07-28	4790-026-0900	ND
2014-07-29	4790-022-1020	ND
2014-07-29	4790-025-0950	ND
2014-07-29	4790-034-0945	ND
2014-07-29	4790-040-1040	ND
2014-08-04	4790-043-0815	0.0330 ppb
2014-08-04	4790-044-0730	0.0380 ppb
2014-08-04	4790-047-0800	0.0360 ppb
2014-08-04	4790-745-0800	0.0340 ppb
2014-08-12	4790-040-0845	ND
2014-08-12	4790-049-0800	ND
2014-08-19	4790-032-0815	ND
2014-08-19	4790-034-0900	ND
2014-09-02	4790-043-0900	0.0320 ppb
2014-09-02	4790-044-0915	0.0290 ppb
2014-09-02	4790-047-0855	0.0310 ppb
2014-09-02	4790-745-0855	0.0300 ppb
2014-09-11	4790-046-0835	ND
2014-09-17	4790-030-1105	ND
2014-10-06	4790-043-0850	0.0290 ppb
2014-10-06	4790-044-0912	0.0220 ppb
2014-10-06	4790-047-0854	0.0240 ppb
2014-10-06	4790-745-0854	0.0280 ppb
2014-11-07	4790-043-0847	0.0260 ppb
2014-11-07	4790-044-0910	0.0190 ppb
2014-11-07	4790-047-0845	0.0250 ppb
2014-11-07	4790-745-0845	0.0230 ppb
2014-12-17	4790-043-0930	0.0300 ppb
2014-12-17	4790-044-1000	0.0350 ppb
2015-01-21	4790-043-0845	0.0190 ppb
2015-01-21	4790-047-0830	0.0230 ppb
2015-01-21	4790-745-0830	0.0230 ppb
2015-05-07	4790-050-1042	ND
2015-07-13	4790-045-0920	0.0490 ppb
2015-07-13	4790-047-0935	0.0370 ppb
2015-08-03	4790-047-0855	ND
2015-08-03	4790-745-0845	0.0260 ppb
2015-09-02	4790-047-1010	0.0220 ppb
2015-09-02	4790-745-1010	0.0220 ppb
2015-10-05	4790-043-0745	0.0220 ppb
2015-10-05	4790-047-0805	0.0270 ppb
2015-10-05	4790-745-0812	0.0230 ppb
2015-11-18	4790-047-1133	0.0360 ppb
2015-11-18	4790-745-1115	0.0360 ppb
2015-12-18	4790-047-0810	0.0440 ppb
2015-12-18	4790-745-0800	0.0220 ppb
2016-08-04	4790-043-0830	0.0400 ppb
2016-08-04	4790-044-0935	0.0300 ppb
2016-11-01	4790-043-1151	ND
2016-11-01	4790-044-1323	ND
2017-02-01	4790-050-0831	ND
2017-04-12	4790-043-1040	0.0270 ppb
2017-04-12	4790-047-1125	0.0270 ppb
2017-04-12	4790-745-1100	0.0240 ppb
2017-04-19	4790-044-0835	0.0380 ppb
2017-04-20	4790-030-0910	ND
2017-05-01	4790-047-0820	0.0260 ppb
2017-05-01	4790-745-0805	0.0280 ppb
2017-06-05	4790-047-0741	0.0120 ppb
2017-06-05	4790-745-0726	0.0220 ppb
2017-07-03	4790-042-0910	ND
2017-07-03	4790-043-1110	0.0180 ppb
2017-07-03	4790-044-1015	0.0270 ppb
2017-07-03	4790-047-1140	0.0220 ppb
2017-07-03	4790-745-1150	0.0210 ppb
2017-07-06	4790-025-0955	ND
2017-07-12	4790-031-1130	ND
2017-07-12	4790-034-0910	ND
2017-07-12	4790-041-0815	ND
2017-07-12	4790-049-1055	ND
2017-07-19	4790-020-0730	ND
2017-07-19	4790-026-0930	ND
2017-07-19	4790-032-0835	ND
2017-07-19	4790-045-1050	ND
2017-08-03	4790-048-0815	ND
2017-08-08	4790-047-0939	0.0230 ppb
2017-08-08	4790-745-0927	0.0230 ppb
2017-09-05	4790-047-1015	0.0210 ppb
2017-10-02	4790-044-0830	0.0200 ppb
2017-10-02	4790-047-0900	0.0110 ppb
2017-10-02	4790-745-0900	0.0210 ppb
2017-11-13	4790-047-1040	0.0230 ppb
2017-11-13	4790-745-1005	0.0240 ppb
2018-04-23	4790-043-0820	0.0260 ppb
2018-04-23	4790-047-0801	0.0300 ppb
2018-04-23	4790-745-0750	0.0280 ppb
2018-05-07	4790-047-0855	0.0210 ppb
2018-05-07	4790-745-0840	0.0200 ppb
2018-05-16	4790-044-1100	0.0320 ppb
2018-06-05	4790-047-0930	ND
2018-06-05	4790-745-0900	0.0230 ppb
2018-12-18	4790-043-0700	0.0270 ppb
2018-12-18	4790-044-0730	0.0370 ppb
2018-12-18	4790-047-0840	0.0370 ppb
2018-12-18	4790-745-0800	0.0330 ppb
2019-01-07	4790-044-1000	0.0280 ppb
2019-01-07	4790-047-0915	0.0210 ppb
2019-01-07	4790-745-0900	0.0220 ppb
2019-01-08	4790-043-0720	0.0340 ppb
2019-02-04	4790-047-0945	0.0190 ppb
2019-02-04	4790-745-0930	0.0220 ppb
2019-04-22	4790-047-1135	0.0240 ppb
2019-04-22	4790-745-1125	0.0240 ppb
2019-05-06	4790-047-0910	0.0220 ppb
2019-05-06	4790-745-0900	0.0220 ppb
2019-06-12	4790-047-0840	0.0170 ppb
2019-06-12	4790-745-0850	0.0190 ppb
2019-09-10	4790-043-1035	0.0390 ppb
2019-09-12	4790-044-0744	0.0390 ppb
2019-10-08	4790-043-0809	0.0260 ppb
2019-10-08	4790-044-0910	0.0250 ppb
2019-10-08	4790-047-0851	0.0360 ppb
2019-10-08	4790-745-0828	0.0250 ppb
2019-10-30	4790-040-0826	ND
2019-11-13	4790-047-1225	0.0180 ppb
2019-11-13	4790-745-1115	0.0240 ppb
2019-12-03	4790-047-1021	ND
2019-12-03	4790-745-1008	ND