Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Felsenthal Water and Sewer

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

23

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-2718060003101ND
2018-05-0118123006001ND
2018-07-1018193006801ND
2018-10-2418298000201ND
2019-02-1819052004601ND
2019-07-1519198002101ND
2019-10-2819303001701ND
2020-01-2820030005207ND
2020-06-1620170004001ND
2020-07-2020204001201ND
2020-11-1720324002901ND
2021-01-2721028015101ND
2021-04-2121111000301ND
2021-08-3021245000201ND
2021-10-2621301005501ND
2022-03-02O195908-VOC-1ND
2022-05-24O198513-VOC-1ND
2022-07-26O200115-VOC-1ND
2022-10-24O203229-VOC-1ND
2023-02-14O206557-VOC-1ND
2023-05-30O209501-VOC-1ND
2023-07-24O211088-VOC-1ND
2023-10-09O212796-VOC-1ND