Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Vinyl chloride

City of Mesa

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

110

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
2014ND80ND
2015ND210ND
2016ND60ND
2017ND60ND
2018ND330ND
2019ND360ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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) 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, established in 1987, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-02-1214020403ND
2014-04-1414040462VND
2014-04-2114040565VND
2014-04-2214040548VND
2014-04-2214040549VND
2014-08-0414080002ND
2014-10-0814100299ND
2014-12-0214120040ND
2015-02-0415020072ND
2015-02-0915020157ND
2015-02-1115020441ND
2015-04-0715040249VND
2015-04-0715040272VND
2015-04-1415040400VND
2015-04-1415040401VND
2015-04-2115040606VND
2015-04-2115040607VND
2015-04-2715040701VND
2015-04-2915040771VND
2015-07-0715070119ND
2015-07-0715070120ND
2015-07-1315070247ND
2015-07-1415070252ND
2015-07-2115070448VND
2015-10-0615100055ND
2015-10-1215100147ND
2015-10-1415100210ND
2015-10-1415100211ND
2015-10-2115100530ND
2016-05-1116050438AND
2016-06-0816060165ND
2016-07-1416070145VND
2016-08-1116080427ND
2016-08-1116080428ND
2016-11-2216110466ND
2017-04-1117040387VOCND
2017-05-2517050671VOCND
2017-07-1017070232VOCND
2017-07-1117070293VOCND
2017-08-2117080520VOCND
2017-10-1217100475ND
2018-02-0818020378ND
2018-04-0218030942 VOCND
2018-04-0418030948ND
2018-04-0918040098 VOCND
2018-04-0918040100 VOCND
2018-04-1018040101 VOCND
2018-04-1618040220ND
2018-04-1618040222 VOCND
2018-04-1718040223 VOCND
2018-04-1718040224 VOCND
2018-04-2418040502 VOCND
2018-04-2418040503 VOCND
2018-04-2418040504 VOCND
2018-04-3018040540 VOCND
2018-05-1018050425 VOCND
2018-06-2018060699ND
2018-08-0718080202 VOCND
2018-08-2818080812ND
2018-10-1118100452ND
2018-10-1518100484ND
2018-10-1518100506ND
2018-10-1618100517ND
2018-10-1618100519ND
2018-10-1718100557ND
2018-10-1818100597ND
2018-10-1818100599ND
2018-10-2218100638ND
2018-10-2218100640ND
2018-10-2318100673ND
2018-10-2418100681ND
2018-10-2418100683ND
2018-10-2918100752ND
2018-11-2618110640ND
2019-01-1519010482ND
2019-02-0519020066ND
2019-03-2719030653ND
2019-03-2719030655ND
2019-03-2719030656ND
2019-04-0219040022ND
2019-04-0219040024ND
2019-04-0819040182ND
2019-04-0919040210ND
2019-04-0919040212ND
2019-04-1019040260ND
2019-04-1119040287ND
2019-04-1519040331ND
2019-04-1519040333ND
2019-04-1619040352ND
2019-04-1619040354ND
2019-04-2219040453ND
2019-04-2419040522ND
2019-04-2519040547ND
2019-08-0119070873ND
2019-08-0119070875ND
2019-08-0519080017ND
2019-08-0519080019ND
2019-08-0819080127ND
2019-08-0819080129ND
2019-08-1219080178ND
2019-08-1319080202ND
2019-08-1419080234ND
2019-08-1519080278ND
2019-08-1519080280ND
2019-08-2019080335ND
2019-08-2119080577ND
2019-08-2619080657ND
2019-09-1919090600ND
2019-10-2919100742ND
2019-11-2119110603ND