Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Desert Sky Dwid

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-07-18201807190397VND
2018-07-18201807190398VND
2018-12-04201812050077VND
2018-12-18550-115254-1ND
2019-02-20201902210316VND
2019-02-20201902210317VND
2019-04-09201904100042VND
2019-05-14201905140180VND
2020-12-2220L2598-01VOCND
2020-12-2920L2983-02ND
2021-10-05202110060114VND
2021-10-05202110060115VND
2022-10-12380-24177-1ND
2022-10-12380-24177-2ND
2023-10-05380-65867-1ND
2023-10-05380-65867-2ND