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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

City of Santa Ana

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

 

179

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
2014ND310ND
2015ND270ND
2016ND360ND
2017ND280ND
2018ND240ND
2019ND330ND

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
2014-02-184417-018-1055ND
2014-02-184417-019-1215ND
2014-02-184417-021-0820ND
2014-02-184417-022-0905ND
2014-02-184417-027-1400ND
2014-02-184417-028-1415ND
2014-02-184417-029-1030ND
2014-02-184417-030-0845ND
2014-02-184417-033-1010ND
2014-02-184417-034-1520ND
2014-02-184417-037-1255ND
2014-02-184417-038-0730ND
2014-02-184417-039-1335ND
2014-02-184417-061-1230ND
2014-02-184417-073-1435ND
2014-02-184417-074-0940ND
2014-03-114417-025-0815ND
2014-03-114417-031-0855ND
2014-05-204417-018-1015ND
2014-05-204417-019-0835ND
2014-05-204417-025-0810ND
2014-05-204417-074-1005ND
2014-08-204417-018-0915ND
2014-08-204417-019-0645ND
2014-08-204417-025-0725ND
2014-08-204417-035-0710ND
2014-08-204417-074-0925ND
2014-11-134417-018-0900ND
2014-11-134417-019-0840ND
2014-11-134417-025-0820ND
2014-12-184417-026-0800ND
2015-02-244417-018-1110ND
2015-02-244417-019-0840ND
2015-02-244417-028-0905ND
2015-02-244417-029-1145ND
2015-02-244417-031-0950ND
2015-02-244417-033-1135ND
2015-02-244417-034-1215ND
2015-02-244417-037-0810ND
2015-02-244417-038-0735ND
2015-02-244417-039-1020ND
2015-02-244417-073-0940ND
2015-03-184417-025-0745ND
2015-03-184417-061-0805ND
2015-05-194417-019-0840ND
2015-05-194417-021-0705ND
2015-05-194417-022-0735ND
2015-05-194417-025-0805ND
2015-05-194417-026-1010ND
2015-05-194417-030-0720ND
2015-05-194417-074-1050ND
2015-06-164417-027-0635ND
2015-08-124417-018-0625ND
2015-08-124417-019-0525ND
2015-08-124417-025-0510ND
2015-08-124417-035-0540ND
2015-11-174417-019-0840ND
2015-11-174417-025-0820ND
2016-02-164417-019-0910ND
2016-02-164417-025-0855ND
2016-02-164417-026-1110ND
2016-02-164417-027-1000ND
2016-02-164417-028-0950ND
2016-02-164417-031-1045ND
2016-02-164417-033-1220ND
2016-02-164417-034-1135ND
2016-02-164417-037-0835ND
2016-02-164417-038-0750ND
2016-02-164417-039-1025ND
2016-02-164417-061-0915ND
2016-02-164417-073-1245ND
2016-03-074417-029-0810ND
2016-05-244417-019-0945ND
2016-05-244417-021-0820ND
2016-05-244417-022-0905ND
2016-05-244417-025-0925ND
2016-05-244417-030-0840ND
2016-05-244417-074-1155ND
2016-07-074417-025-0630ND
2016-07-074417-025-0640ND
2016-07-074417-030-0600ND
2016-07-074417-030-0605ND
2016-08-034417-018-0800ND
2016-08-034417-019-0915ND
2016-08-034417-028-0955ND
2016-08-034417-033-1100ND
2016-08-034417-034-0710ND
2016-08-034417-035-0830ND
2016-08-034417-037-0845ND
2016-08-034417-038-1025ND
2016-10-314417-018-0805ND
2016-10-314417-019-0825ND
2016-10-314417-025-0835ND
2016-10-314417-033-0915ND
2017-02-274417-019-0815ND
2017-02-274417-025-0850ND
2017-02-274417-026-1025ND
2017-02-274417-027-0920ND
2017-02-274417-031-1005ND
2017-02-274417-039-0945ND
2017-02-274417-061-0835ND
2017-05-164417-019-0950ND
2017-05-164417-021-1140ND
2017-05-164417-022-1205ND
2017-05-164417-025-0830ND
2017-05-164417-028-0915ND
2017-05-164417-030-1150ND
2017-05-164417-031-1040ND
2017-05-164417-034-0750ND
2017-05-164417-035-0940ND
2017-05-164417-037-1230ND
2017-05-164417-038-1115ND
2017-05-164417-074-1020ND
2017-06-014417-073-0915ND
2017-08-084417-019-0610ND
2017-08-084417-025-0635ND
2017-08-084417-073-0715ND
2017-08-084417-073-0725ND
2017-09-194417-073-1100ND
2017-09-194417-073-1110ND
2017-11-144417-019-0930ND
2017-11-144417-025-0855ND
2018-02-214417-019-0700ND
2018-02-214417-025-0630ND
2018-02-214417-026-0950ND
2018-02-214417-027-0750ND
2018-02-214417-039-0830ND
2018-02-214417-061-0725ND
2018-04-264417-035-0815ND
2018-05-154417-019-0845ND
2018-05-154417-021-0750ND
2018-05-154417-022-1240ND
2018-05-154417-025-1050ND
2018-05-154417-028-0920ND
2018-05-154417-031-0950ND
2018-05-154417-034-1215ND
2018-05-154417-037-0815ND
2018-05-154417-074-1015ND
2018-06-204417-030-0815ND
2018-08-214417-019-0635ND
2018-08-214417-025-0655ND
2018-10-114417-038-0800ND
2018-11-064417-019-1105ND
2018-11-064417-025-1050ND
2018-11-064417-038-1025ND
2018-11-064417-038-1035ND
2019-03-114417-021-0840ND
2019-03-114417-025-0925ND
2019-03-114417-026-1140ND
2019-03-114417-027-1030ND
2019-03-114417-028-1020ND
2019-03-114417-031-1110ND
2019-03-114417-035-1000ND
2019-03-114417-037-0905ND
2019-03-114417-038-0815ND
2019-03-114417-039-1055ND
2019-03-114417-061-0940ND
2019-03-114417-074-1200ND
2019-03-204417-030-1335ND
2019-03-204417-035-1310ND
2019-03-204417-035-1320ND
2019-04-234417-035-0740ND
2019-04-234417-035-0750ND
2019-05-074417-035-0740ND
2019-05-074417-035-0745ND
2019-05-294417-019-1130ND
2019-05-294417-025-0825ND
2019-07-234417-019-0840ND
2019-07-234417-019-0845ND
2019-07-234417-025-0915ND
2019-07-234417-033-0750ND
2019-07-234417-034-1020ND
2019-07-234417-035-0855ND
2019-09-174417-073-0815ND
2019-11-054417-019-1105ND
2019-11-054417-022-1030ND
2019-11-054417-025-1125ND
2019-11-054417-073-0955ND
2019-11-054417-073-1505ND