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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

Long Beach Water Department

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

173

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
2014ND300ND
2015ND280ND
2016ND290ND
2017ND260ND
2018ND300ND
2019ND300ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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) 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-07-174206-001-0736ND
2014-07-174206-002-0758ND
2014-07-174206-003-0838ND
2014-07-174206-030-0838ND
2014-07-174206-030-0840ND
2014-07-174206-033-0918ND
2014-07-174206-035-0947ND
2014-07-174206-039-1014ND
2014-07-184206-012-0808ND
2014-07-184206-013-0906ND
2014-07-184206-014-0940ND
2014-07-184206-020-0953ND
2014-07-184206-023-0917ND
2014-07-184206-025-0831ND
2014-07-184206-026-0854ND
2014-07-184206-028-1023ND
2014-07-184206-041-1223ND
2014-07-184206-042-1150ND
2014-07-184206-043-0839ND
2014-07-184206-057-1047ND
2014-07-184206-058-1116ND
2014-07-184206-061-1149ND
2014-07-184206-062-1007ND
2014-07-184206-063-1039ND
2014-08-204206-059-1239ND
2014-08-214206-040-1134ND
2014-09-034206-038-1405ND
2014-09-034206-040-1405ND
2014-12-109590-060-1124ND
2014-12-159590-027-1356ND
2015-08-194206-001-1050ND
2015-08-194206-002-1124ND
2015-08-194206-003-1148ND
2015-08-194206-013-0832ND
2015-08-194206-014-0856ND
2015-08-194206-030-0942ND
2015-08-194206-043-1022ND
2015-08-204206-012-1544ND
2015-08-204206-020-1202ND
2015-08-204206-023-1125ND
2015-08-204206-025-1027ND
2015-08-204206-026-1049ND
2015-08-204206-028-1234ND
2015-08-204206-033-0903ND
2015-08-204206-035-1017ND
2015-08-204206-038-1045ND
2015-08-204206-039-1136ND
2015-08-204206-040-0946ND
2015-08-204206-041-1407ND
2015-08-204206-057-1333ND
2015-08-204206-058-1447ND
2015-08-204206-059-1406ND
2015-08-204206-061-1441ND
2015-08-204206-062-0946ND
2015-08-204206-063-1332ND
2015-10-224206-042-1050ND
2015-10-229590-042-1050ND
2015-10-229590-060-1300ND
2016-01-229590-027-0852ND
2016-05-059590-040-0836ND
2016-09-019590-001-0830ND
2016-09-019590-002-0852ND
2016-09-019590-012-0801ND
2016-09-019590-014-0907ND
2016-09-019590-020-1120ND
2016-09-019590-023-1027ND
2016-09-019590-025-1002ND
2016-09-019590-027-1059ND
2016-09-019590-028-1141ND
2016-09-019590-030-0942ND
2016-09-019590-033-1020ND
2016-09-019590-043-0919ND
2016-09-019590-062-0942ND
2016-09-019590-063-0838ND
2016-09-029590-013-1257ND
2016-09-029590-035-0932ND
2016-09-029590-038-0915ND
2016-09-029590-041-1237ND
2016-09-029590-042-1211ND
2016-09-029590-057-1018ND
2016-09-029590-058-1137ND
2016-09-029590-059-1039ND
2016-09-029590-061-1106ND
2016-11-039590-039-1029ND
2016-11-049590-003-0933ND
2016-11-049590-026-1147ND
2016-11-119590-040-0913ND
2017-06-154206-012-1306ND
2017-06-154206-013-1244ND
2017-06-154206-020-1157ND
2017-06-154206-028-1219ND
2017-06-154206-042-1127ND
2017-06-154206-043-0832ND
2017-06-154206-059-0914ND
2017-06-164206-001-1137ND
2017-06-164206-002-1200ND
2017-06-164206-003-1217ND
2017-06-164206-014-0907ND
2017-06-164206-023-1014ND
2017-06-164206-025-0953ND
2017-06-164206-027-1053ND
2017-06-164206-030-0839ND
2017-06-164206-033-0910ND
2017-06-164206-035-1012ND
2017-06-164206-038-1029ND
2017-06-164206-039-1056ND
2017-06-164206-040-0936ND
2017-06-164206-041-1207ND
2017-06-164206-057-1117ND
2017-06-164206-062-0929ND
2017-06-164206-063-0844ND
2017-06-204206-061-0820ND
2017-12-129590-026-1015ND
2018-07-269590-012-1023ND
2018-07-269590-040-1324ND
2018-08-164206-001-1148ND
2018-08-164206-002-1208ND
2018-08-164206-003-1230ND
2018-08-164206-012-1356ND
2018-08-164206-013-1332ND
2018-08-164206-014-1314ND
2018-08-164206-020-1328ND
2018-08-164206-023-1225ND
2018-08-164206-025-1154ND
2018-08-164206-027-1258ND
2018-08-164206-030-0904ND
2018-08-164206-033-0931ND
2018-08-164206-035-1024ND
2018-08-164206-039-1048ND
2018-08-164206-040-0956ND
2018-08-164206-043-1128ND
2018-08-164206-062-1011ND
2018-08-164206-063-0927ND
2018-08-174206-028-0855ND
2018-08-174206-041-1041ND
2018-08-174206-042-1004ND
2018-08-174206-059-0926ND
2018-08-234206-057-1311ND
2018-08-234206-061-1237ND
2018-08-304206-026-1053ND
2018-08-304206-038-1141ND
2018-08-304206-058-1017ND
2018-09-129590-058-1356ND
2019-07-189590-041-1011ND
2019-08-069590-014-0816ND
2019-09-119590-030-1246ND
2019-09-119590-033-1221ND
2019-09-119590-035-1114ND
2019-09-119590-039-1041ND
2019-09-119590-040-1156ND
2019-09-129590-001-0843ND
2019-09-129590-002-0906ND
2019-09-129590-003-0930ND
2019-09-129590-012-0841ND
2019-09-129590-013-1008ND
2019-09-129590-020-1206ND
2019-09-129590-023-1109ND
2019-09-129590-025-1000ND
2019-09-129590-026-1031ND
2019-09-129590-027-1137ND
2019-09-129590-028-1228ND
2019-09-129590-042-1231ND
2019-09-129590-043-0917ND
2019-09-129590-058-1320ND
2019-09-129590-059-1353ND
2019-09-129590-062-1129ND
2019-09-129590-063-1049ND
2019-11-159590-003-1001ND
2019-11-159590-026-1251ND
2019-11-159590-039-1156ND
2019-11-159590-040-1127ND
2019-11-159590-058-1139ND
2019-12-119590-061-1208ND