Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Ardmore Water System

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene chloride) 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 dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-23180123034-1ND
2018-04-12180412042-1ND
2018-08-1618080527-001ND
2018-10-1718100516-001ND
2019-01-2419010620-001AND
2019-01-2419010620-002AND
2019-03-1219030331-001ND
2019-05-2920105746001ND
2019-07-3020114807001ND
2019-10-2920128012001ND
2020-02-2820144376001-1ND
2020-06-1620158950001ND
2020-08-1320167221001ND
2020-10-2920177729001ND
2021-03-0435616404001ND
2021-06-1635640935001ND
2021-09-1735664186001ND
2021-11-2335679859001_IVOCND
2022-02-2835700052001_IVOCND
2022-02-2835700053001_IVOCND
2022-02-2835700053002_IVOCND
2022-05-2335719552001A_IVOCND
2022-05-2335719552001_IVOCND
2022-08-1235738848001A_IVOCND
2022-08-1235738848001_IVOCND
2022-11-2835762249001_IVOCND
2023-02-2735782140001_IVOCND
2023-05-0435797074001_IVOCND
2023-08-1835821732001_IVOCND
2023-10-2035836005001_IVOCND