Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Elba Water Works

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.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-10-1918100572-001AND
2019-03-2719030659-001AND
2019-03-2719030659-002AND
2019-03-2719030659-003AND
2019-11-0520128986001_IVOCND
2020-11-1720180408001_IVOCND
2021-12-1035683528001_IVOCND
2022-03-2935706621002_IVOCND
2022-03-2935706621001_IVOCND
2022-09-2235748613002_IVOCND
2022-11-1735760586001_IVOCND
2022-12-1535766914001_IVOCND
2023-01-1935773664001_IVOCND
2023-04-0635790837001_IVOCND
2023-09-2135829187001_IVOCND
2023-10-1935835674001_IVOCND
2023-10-1935835674002_IVOCND