Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Tesoro Viejo Master Mwc, Inc.

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.

 

41

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND90ND
2022ND90ND
2023ND90ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-08-31CA2010017_002_002-201808310845ND
2018-12-06CA2010017_006_006-201812061033ND
2018-12-12CA2010017_001_001-201812121100ND
2019-03-20CA2010017_001_001-201903200815ND
2019-08-21CA2010017_002_002-201908210955ND
2019-11-14CA2010017_006_006-201911141100ND
2020-02-19CA2010017_006_006-202002190915ND
2020-05-13CA2010017_006_006-202005131000ND
2020-06-03CA2010017_002_002-202006031215ND
2020-06-09CA2010017_001_001-202006090845ND
2020-08-19CA2010017_006_006-202008191005ND
2020-09-02CA2010017_001_001-202009020840ND
2020-11-24CA2010017_006_006-202011241030ND
2020-12-09CA2010017_001_001-202012090945ND
2021-02-17CA2010017_006_006-202102171035ND
2021-03-16CA2010017_001_001-202103161000ND
2021-05-12CA2010017_006_006-202105121015ND
2021-06-09CA2010017_001_001-202106090845ND
2021-06-28CA2010017_002_002-202106280955ND
2021-08-18CA2010017_006_006-202108180845ND
2021-09-15CA2010017_001_001-202109151045ND
2021-11-10CA2010017_006_006-202111101025ND
2021-12-07CA2010017_001_001-202112070915ND
2022-02-16CA2010017_006_006-202202160920ND
2022-03-10CA2010017_001_001-202203100845ND
2022-05-18CA2010017_006_006-202205181055ND
2022-06-08CA2010017_001_001-202206080930ND
2022-07-06CA2010017_002_002-202207060900ND
2022-08-17CA2010017_006_006-202208170810ND
2022-09-13CA2010017_001_001-202209131030ND
2022-11-16CA2010017_006_006-202211160655ND
2022-12-13CA2010017_001_001-202212131130ND
2023-02-13CA2010017_002_002-202302130630ND
2023-02-14CA2010017_006_006-202302141040ND
2023-03-20CA2010017_001_001-202303201430ND
2023-05-16CA2010017_006_006-202305160805ND
2023-06-20CA2010017_001_001-202306200755ND
2023-08-22CA2010017_006_006-202308221040ND
2023-09-27CA2010017_001_001-202309270940ND
2023-11-21CA2010017_006_006-202311210655ND
2023-12-05CA2010017_001_001-202312050845ND