Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

East Pasadena 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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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
2018-03-19CA1910020_012_012-201803190855ND
2018-03-19CA1910020_005_005-201803190940ND
2018-04-11CA1910020_012_012-201804111035ND
2018-07-12CA1910020_005_005-201807121035ND
2019-04-03CA1910020_012_012-201904031000ND
2019-07-29CA1910020_005_005-201907291225ND
2020-04-02CA1910020_012_012-202004021030ND
2020-07-09CA1910020_005_005-202007091040ND
2021-03-08CA1910020_005_005-202103080910ND
2021-03-08CA1910020_012_012-202103080845ND
2021-04-12CA1910020_012_012-202104121010ND
2021-07-13CA1910020_005_005-202107131115ND
2022-04-20CA1910020_012_012-202204201155ND
2022-08-09CA1910020_005_005-202208091125ND
2023-05-10CA1910020_012_012-202305101055ND
2023-08-16CA1910020_005_005-202308161040ND