Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

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

Quint-mar Water Authority

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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND100ND
2020ND20ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND100ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2019-02-05AB32809ND
2019-02-05AB32810ND
2019-02-05AB32811ND
2019-02-05AB32808ND
2019-04-17AB34287ND
2019-07-17AB36908-1ND
2019-07-17AB36909ND
2019-07-17AB36910ND
2019-07-17AB36911ND
2019-07-17AB36912ND
2020-07-20AB43481ND
2020-11-05AB46358ND
2022-02-08AB56151ND
2022-02-08AB56155ND
2022-02-08AB56154ND
2022-02-08AB56153ND
2022-02-08AB56152ND
2022-07-20AB60396ND
2022-07-20AB60397ND
2022-07-20AB60398ND
2022-07-20AB60399ND
2022-07-20AB60400ND
2023-02-06AB65254ND
2023-07-17AB69865ND