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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Benzene

Cerritos - City, Water Department

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

32

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
2014ND60ND
2015ND30ND
2016ND50ND
2017ND60ND
2018ND60ND
2019ND60ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-02-142706-003-0920ND
2014-02-142706-002-0900ND
2014-05-222706-002-0855ND
2014-08-212706-002-0936ND
2014-08-212706-001-0948ND
2014-11-202706-002-0920ND
2015-02-122706-001-1200ND
2015-02-122706-003-1250ND
2015-06-302706-002-1400ND
2016-02-259588-001-1115ND
2016-02-259588-003-1140ND
2016-05-259588-002-1340ND
2016-08-299588-002-1200ND
2016-11-289588-002-1130ND
2017-02-239588-001-1040ND
2017-02-239588-003-1115ND
2017-02-239588-002-1100ND
2017-05-249588-002-1110ND
2017-08-249588-002-1145ND
2017-10-199588-002-1205ND
2018-02-229588-003-1130ND
2018-02-229588-002-1210ND
2018-02-229588-001-1110ND
2018-05-249588-002-1215ND
2018-08-159588-002-0810ND
2018-11-279588-002-0820ND
2019-02-139588-002-1005ND
2019-02-139588-003-0835ND
2019-02-139588-001-0755ND
2019-05-239588-002-0930ND
2019-08-089588-002-0945ND
2019-11-079588-002-0935ND