Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Ambler Boro Water Dept

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

 

152

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND390ND
2015ND180ND
2016ND390ND
2017ND230ND
2018ND170ND
2019ND160ND

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
2014-01-291069845001ND
2014-01-291069845002ND
2014-01-291069845003ND
2014-01-291069845004ND
2014-01-291069845005ND
2014-01-291069845006ND
2014-01-291069845007ND
2014-01-291069845008ND
2014-01-291069845009ND
2014-01-291069845010ND
2014-06-112012509001ND
2014-06-112012509002ND
2014-06-112012509003ND
2014-06-112012509004ND
2014-06-112012509006ND
2014-06-112012509007ND
2014-06-252014679001ND
2014-06-252014679002ND
2014-06-252014679003ND
2014-09-172030028001ND
2014-09-172030028002ND
2014-09-172030028003ND
2014-09-172030028004ND
2014-09-172030028005ND
2014-09-172030028006ND
2014-09-172030028007ND
2014-09-172030028008ND
2014-09-172030028009ND
2014-09-172030028010ND
2014-10-292037428001ND
2014-10-292037428002ND
2014-10-292037428003ND
2014-10-292037428004ND
2014-10-292037428005ND
2014-10-292037428006ND
2014-10-292037428007ND
2014-10-292037428008ND
2014-10-292037428009ND
2014-10-292037428010ND
2015-02-2512400308ND
2015-04-0812631284ND
2015-06-2412880561ND
2015-06-2412880582ND
2015-06-2412880603ND
2015-06-2412880624ND
2015-06-2412880645ND
2015-06-2412880666ND
2015-06-2412880687ND
2015-06-2412880708ND
2015-06-2412880729ND
2015-06-2412880750ND
2015-07-2913011027ND
2015-09-3013263530ND
2015-10-1413387759ND
2015-12-0213512967ND
2015-12-3113631977ND
2015-12-3113631998ND
2016-03-2313984575ND
2016-03-2313984554ND
2016-03-2313984533ND
2016-03-3013984596ND
2016-03-3013984617ND
2016-03-3013984638ND
2016-03-3013984659ND
2016-03-3013984680ND
2016-05-1214249389ND
2016-05-1214249410ND
2016-06-2214404044ND
2016-06-2214404065ND
2016-06-2214404086ND
2016-06-2214404107ND
2016-06-2214404128ND
2016-06-2214404149ND
2016-06-2214404170ND
2016-06-2214404191ND
2016-06-2214404212ND
2016-08-1714733666ND
2016-08-1714733687ND
2016-08-1714733708ND
2016-08-1714733729ND
2016-08-1714733750ND
2016-08-1714733771ND
2016-08-1714733792ND
2016-08-1714733813ND
2016-08-1714733834ND
2016-08-1714733855ND
2016-11-3015224680ND
2016-11-3015224701ND
2016-11-3015224722ND
2016-11-3015224743ND
2016-11-3015224764ND
2016-11-3015224785ND
2016-11-3015224806ND
2016-11-3015224827ND
2016-11-3015224848ND
2016-11-3015224869ND
2017-02-0815653684ND
2017-02-0815653705ND
2017-02-0815653726ND
2017-02-0815653747ND
2017-02-0815653768ND
2017-02-0815653789ND
2017-02-0815653810ND
2017-02-0815653831ND
2017-02-0815653873ND
2017-05-2416092652ND
2017-05-2416092673ND
2017-05-2416092694ND
2017-05-2416092715ND
2017-05-2416092736ND
2017-05-2416092757ND
2017-05-2416092778ND
2017-05-2416092799ND
2017-05-2416092820ND
2017-05-2416092841ND
2017-08-3016564007ND
2017-08-3016563986ND
2017-10-1816878469ND
2017-10-1816878448ND
2018-01-172289928001ND
2018-01-172289928002ND
2018-04-188010781-01ND
2018-04-188010781-02ND
2018-07-188075158-01ND
2018-07-188075158-03ND
2018-07-188075158-05ND
2018-07-188075158-07ND
2018-07-188075158-09ND
2018-07-188075158-11ND
2018-07-188075158-13ND
2018-07-188075158-15ND
2018-07-188075158-17ND
2018-08-298025873-01ND
2018-10-312347828001ND
2018-10-312347828003ND
2018-11-283003466001ND
2019-06-273042701001ND
2019-06-273042701003ND
2019-06-273042701005ND
2019-09-113057541001ND
2019-09-113057541003ND
2019-09-113057541005ND
2019-09-113057541007ND
2019-09-113057541009ND
2019-09-113057541011ND
2019-09-113057541013ND
2019-09-113057541015ND
2019-09-113057541017ND
2019-09-113057541019ND
2019-11-203071675001ND
2019-11-203071675003ND
2019-11-203071675005ND