Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level 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
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND40ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND80ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, 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 tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2020-11-30CA1510703_004_004-202011301420ND
2020-11-30CA1510703_017_017-202011301450ND
2020-11-30CA1510703_002_002-202011301301ND
2020-11-30CA1510703_013_013-202011301346ND
2021-06-15CA1510703_015_015-202106150945ND
2022-06-28CA1510703_043_043-202206280900ND
2022-09-05CA1510703_043_043-202209050939ND
2022-11-08CA1510703_043_043-202211080845ND
2023-01-24CA1510703_043_043-202301240755ND
2023-04-11CA1510703_043_043-202304110856ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_002_002-202311070901ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_043_043-202311070917ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_004_004-202311070717ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_015_015-202311070807ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_013_013-202311070824ND
2023-11-14CA1510703_017_017-202311140732ND