Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Hemlock Mutual Water Company

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-03-09CA1910053_002_002-201803090910ND
2018-06-27CA1910053_002_002-201806270910ND
2018-09-06CA1910053_002_002-201809060850ND
2018-09-06CA1910053_001_001-201809060910ND
2018-12-05CA1910053_002_002-201812050905ND
2019-03-05CA1910053_002_002-201903050900ND
2019-06-05CA1910053_002_002-201906050920ND
2019-09-09CA1910053_001_001-201909091030ND
2019-09-09CA1910053_002_002-201909091025ND
2019-12-02CA1910053_002_002-201912020945ND
2020-03-03CA1910053_002_002-202003031015ND
2020-06-02CA1910053_002_002-202006020930ND
2020-09-02CA1910053_002_002-202009020805ND
2020-09-02CA1910053_001_001-202009020820ND
2020-11-17CA1910053_002_002-202011170930ND
2021-02-08CA1910053_002_002-202102080835ND
2021-06-08CA1910053_002_002-202106080850ND
2021-07-07CA1910053_001_001-202107071110ND
2021-07-07CA1910053_002_002-202107071100ND
2021-10-15CA1910053_002_002-202110150935ND
2022-01-07CA1910053_002_002-202201070920ND
2022-04-07CA1910053_002_002-202204070955ND
2022-07-07CA1910053_002_002-202207071045ND
2022-07-07CA1910053_001_001-202207071105ND
2022-10-05CA1910053_002_002-202210051045ND
2023-02-13CA1910053_002_002-202302131005ND
2023-04-17CA1910053_002_002-202304170840ND
2023-07-21CA1910053_002_002-202307210945ND
2023-07-21CA1910053_001_001-202307211000ND
2023-10-05CA1910053_002_002-202310050930ND