Trichloroacetic acid

City of Seal Beach

Trichloroacetic acid, one of the group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards, is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Haloacetic acids and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	3.20 ppb	8	8	1.20 ppb - 5.37 ppb
2015	1.75 ppb	4	3	ND - 3.48 ppb
2016	1.18 ppb	16	9	ND - 4.47 ppb
2017	0.414 ppb	16	4	ND - 2.01 ppb
2018	1.83 ppb	18	14	ND - 4.41 ppb
2019	1.61 ppb	12	9	ND - 3.03 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for trichloroacetic acid was proposed in 2020 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.a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-02-06	9469-804-1000	3.67 ppb
2014-02-06	9469-803-0945	3.59 ppb
2014-02-06	9469-802-0930	3.61 ppb
2014-02-06	9469-801-0900	4.99 ppb
2014-04-08	9469-804-1115	1.74 ppb
2014-04-08	9469-803-0850	1.39 ppb
2014-04-08	9469-802-0825	1.20 ppb
2014-04-08	9469-801-0750	5.37 ppb
2015-11-03	9469-801-0755	3.48 ppb
2015-11-03	9469-804-1000	1.38 ppb
2015-11-03	9469-803-0840	ND
2015-11-03	9469-802-0820	2.15 ppb
2016-02-02	9469-801-0655	3.20 ppb
2016-02-02	9469-804-0840	1.02 ppb
2016-02-02	9469-803-0735	1.90 ppb
2016-02-02	9469-802-0715	3.07 ppb
2016-05-03	9469-801-0700	4.47 ppb
2016-05-03	9469-802-0720	ND
2016-05-03	9469-803-0830	1.46 ppb
2016-05-03	9469-804-0945	1.34 ppb
2016-08-02	9469-804-0845	ND
2016-08-02	9469-803-0725	ND
2016-08-02	9469-801-0640	ND
2016-08-02	9469-802-0705	1.03 ppb
2016-11-01	9469-804-1050	1.43 ppb
2016-11-01	9469-801-0730	ND
2016-11-01	9469-802-0755	ND
2016-11-01	9469-803-0900	ND
2017-02-07	9469-804-0935	ND
2017-02-07	9469-802-0750	ND
2017-02-07	9469-801-0730	ND
2017-02-07	9469-803-0810	ND
2017-05-01	9469-804-1018	1.56 ppb
2017-05-01	9469-802-0805	ND
2017-05-01	9469-801-0730	1.88 ppb
2017-05-01	9469-803-0831	2.01 ppb
2017-07-31	9469-804-1000	ND
2017-07-31	9469-803-0845	ND
2017-07-31	9469-801-0745	1.17 ppb
2017-07-31	9469-802-0815	ND
2017-11-01	9469-803-1325	ND
2017-11-01	9469-801-1250	ND
2017-11-01	9469-804-1430	ND
2017-11-01	9469-802-1310	ND
2018-02-08	9469-803-1140	ND
2018-02-08	9469-804-1320	ND
2018-02-08	9469-801-1100	3.17 ppb
2018-02-08	9469-802-1115	3.22 ppb
2018-05-02	9469-803-1345	ND
2018-05-02	9469-804-1455	ND
2018-05-02	9469-801-1305	1.21 ppb
2018-05-02	9469-802-1325	2.90 ppb
2018-08-01	9469-802-1205	3.80 ppb
2018-08-01	9469-804-1400	1.40 ppb
2018-08-01	9469-801-1145	1.20 ppb
2018-08-01	9469-803-1225	1.58 ppb
2018-08-15	9469-804-0945	1.97 ppb
2018-08-22	9469-804-1410	1.88 ppb
2018-11-08	9469-802-1140	4.41 ppb
2018-11-08	9469-801-1120	3.81 ppb
2018-11-08	9469-803-1210	1.12 ppb
2018-11-08	9469-804-1330	1.35 ppb
2019-02-13	9469-803-1135	3.03 ppb
2019-02-13	9469-801-1055	2.60 ppb
2019-02-13	9469-802-1115	2.79 ppb
2019-02-28	9469-804-1205	1.70 ppb
2019-05-01	9469-804-1310	ND
2019-05-01	9469-803-1100	ND
2019-05-01	9469-802-1030	1.30 ppb
2019-05-01	9469-801-1010	2.16 ppb
2019-11-06	9469-804-1010	1.29 ppb
2019-11-06	9469-803-0830	ND
2019-11-06	9469-801-0735	2.02 ppb
2019-11-06	9469-802-0805	2.38 ppb