Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

California Water Service Company Oak Hills

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.

 

27

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND50ND
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
2018-03-14CA2710019_008_008-201803141248ND
2018-06-20CA2710019_008_008-201806200940ND
2018-09-25CA2710019_008_008-201809251226ND
2018-09-25CA2710019_003_003-201809251256ND
2018-12-12CA2710019_008_008-201812121546ND
2019-06-19CA2710019_008_008-201906191332ND
2019-09-17CA2710019_008_008-201909171201ND
2019-12-19CA2710019_008_008-201912191054ND
2020-03-17CA2710019_008_008-202003171219ND
2020-05-19CA2710019_008_008-202005190920ND
2020-09-24CA2710019_008_008-202009241029ND
2020-12-15CA2710019_008_008-202012151046ND
2021-03-09CA2710019_008_008-202103091038ND
2021-06-29CA2710019_001_001-202106291348ND
2021-06-29CA2710019_008_008-202106291156ND
2021-09-14CA2710019_003_003-202109140935ND
2021-09-14CA2710019_008_008-202109140956ND
2021-12-15CA2710019_008_008-202112150944ND
2022-02-22CA2710019_008_008-202202220909ND
2022-03-10CA2710019_008_008-202203101116ND
2022-06-22CA2710019_008_008-202206221330ND
2022-09-01CA2710019_008_008-202209011120ND
2022-12-08CA2710019_008_008-202212081046ND
2023-03-28CA2710019_008_008-202303281435ND
2023-06-26CA2710019_008_008-202306261250ND
2023-09-21CA2710019_008_008-202309210921ND
2023-12-28CA2710019_008_008-202312280955ND