Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Coast Springs - Cal. Water Service (puc)

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-07-12CA2110007_001_001-201807121225ND
2018-07-12CA2110007_015_015-201807121235ND
2018-07-23CA2110007_003_003-201807231145ND
2018-07-23CA2110007_004_004-201807231200ND
2018-09-18CA2110007_007_007-201809181055ND
2019-01-08CA2110007_006_006-201901081050ND
2019-06-18CA2110007_001_001-201906181050ND
2019-06-18CA2110007_015_015-201906181100ND
2019-08-28CA2110007_010_010-201908281100ND
2019-08-28CA2110007_005_005-201908281025ND
2019-11-20CA2110007_002_002-201911201015ND
2020-03-25CA2110007_001_001-202003251025ND
2020-03-25CA2110007_015_015-202003251035ND
2020-04-20CA2110007_008_008-202004201025ND
2020-08-19CA2110007_016_016-202008190935ND
2021-06-08CA2110007_001_001-202106081015ND
2021-06-08CA2110007_015_015-202106081010ND
2021-07-06CA2110007_003_003-202107060945ND
2021-07-06CA2110007_004_004-202107061010ND
2021-08-18CA2110007_007_007-202108181300ND
2022-02-23CA2110007_006_006-202202230945ND
2022-06-21CA2110007_001_001-202206211115ND
2022-06-21CA2110007_015_015-202206211030ND
2022-08-16CA2110007_005_005-202208161255ND
2022-08-16CA2110007_010_010-202208161215ND
2022-10-31CA2110007_002_002-202210311125ND
2023-04-17CA2110007_008_008-202304171135ND
2023-06-06CA2110007_001_001-202306061055ND
2023-06-06CA2110007_015_015-202306061100ND
2023-08-24CA2110007_016_016-202308241210ND