Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Lukins Brothers Water Company

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.

 

78

Samples

3

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

3

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND20ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND210ND
20221.97 ppb233ND - 16.7 ppb
2023ND290ND

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
2019-04-09CA0910007_001_001-201904090715ND
2019-12-10CA0910007_001_001-201912101025ND
2020-03-19CA0910007_001_001-202003190830ND
2020-07-14CA0910007_001_001-202007140725ND
2020-11-09CA0910007_001_001-202011090950ND
2021-03-08CA0910007_001_001-202103081025ND
2021-04-22CA0910007_005_005-202104221100ND
2021-04-22CA0910007_005_005-202104220800ND
2021-05-10CA0910007_005_005-202105100830ND
2021-05-18CA0910007_005_005-202105181313ND
2021-05-18CA0910007_005_005-202105181318ND
2021-05-19CA0910007_005_005-202105191140ND
2021-05-19CA0910007_005_005-202105191135ND
2021-05-19CA0910007_005_005-202105191130ND
2021-06-09CA0910007_005_005-202106090810ND
2021-06-09CA0910007_005_005-202106090820ND
2021-06-09CA0910007_005_005-202106090830ND
2021-07-12CA0910007_005_005-202107120845ND
2021-07-12CA0910007_001_001-202107120705ND
2021-10-04CA0910007_005_005-202110040905ND
2021-10-04CA0910007_005_005-202110040850ND
2021-10-04CA0910007_008_008-202110040840ND
2021-11-08CA0910007_005_005-202111080935ND
2021-11-08CA0910007_005_005-202111081020ND
2021-11-08CA0910007_005_005-202111080920ND
2021-12-15CA0910007_005_005-202112151115ND
2022-04-12CA0910007_005_005-202204120955ND
2022-04-12CA0910007_005_005-202204120945ND
2022-04-12CA0910007_008_008-202204121005ND
2022-05-10CA0910007_005_005-202205100730ND
2022-05-10CA0910007_008_008-202205100915ND
2022-05-10CA0910007_009_009-202205101425ND
2022-06-06CA0910007_005_005-20220606084012.7 ppb
2022-06-06CA0910007_008_008-20220606085015.8 ppb
2022-06-06CA0910007_009_009-20220606074016.7 ppb
2022-06-27CA0910007_009_009-202206270735ND
2022-06-27CA0910007_008_008-202206270755ND
2022-06-27CA0910007_005_005-202206270745ND
2022-07-11CA0910007_008_008-202207110955ND
2022-08-08CA0910007_008_008-202208080750ND
2022-08-08CA0910007_009_009-202208080735ND
2022-09-13CA0910007_009_009-202209130935ND
2022-09-13CA0910007_008_008-202209130950ND
2022-09-28CA0910007_005_005-202209280900ND
2022-10-12CA0910007_009_009-202210120805ND
2022-10-12CA0910007_008_008-202210120745ND
2022-12-14CA0910007_009_009-202212140910ND
2022-12-14CA0910007_008_008-202212140930ND
2022-12-14CA0910007_005_005-202212140920ND
2023-01-11CA0910007_008_008-202301111020ND
2023-01-11CA0910007_009_009-202301111010ND
2023-02-07CA0910007_009_009-202302070845ND
2023-02-07CA0910007_008_008-202302070840ND
2023-03-08CA0910007_009_009-202303080909ND
2023-03-08CA0910007_001_001-202303080940ND
2023-04-12CA0910007_008_008-202304121100ND
2023-04-12CA0910007_009_009-202304121045ND
2023-05-09CA0910007_008_008-202305090900ND
2023-05-09CA0910007_009_009-202305090840ND
2023-06-13CA0910007_008_008-202306130830ND
2023-06-13CA0910007_001_001-202306130915ND
2023-06-13CA0910007_009_009-202306130830ND
2023-06-13CA0910007_005_005-202306130915ND
2023-07-10CA0910007_009_009-202307100845ND
2023-07-10CA0910007_008_008-202307100940ND
2023-08-08CA0910007_009_009-202308080815ND
2023-08-08CA0910007_008_008-202308080820ND
2023-09-05CA0910007_009_009-202309050930ND
2023-09-05CA0910007_005_005-202309050940ND
2023-09-05CA0910007_008_008-202309050950ND
2023-10-10CA0910007_008_008-202310100950ND
2023-10-10CA0910007_005_005-202310100935ND
2023-10-10CA0910007_009_009-202310100920ND
2023-11-07CA0910007_008_008-202311070900ND
2023-11-07CA0910007_009_009-202311070730ND
2023-12-05CA0910007_005_005-202312050925ND
2023-12-05CA0910007_009_009-202312050855ND
2023-12-05CA0910007_008_008-202312050915ND