Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Thousand Trails San Benito Preserve

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND110ND
2019ND50ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND20ND
2022N/A00N/A
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-28CA3500505_002_002-201803281502ND
2018-03-28CA3500505_001_001-201803281545ND
2018-06-21CA3500505_002_002-201806211138ND
2018-06-21CA3500505_005_005-201806211321ND
2018-06-21CA3500505_001_001-201806211103ND
2018-08-08CA3500505_001_001-201808080856ND
2018-08-08CA3500505_002_002-201808080816ND
2018-09-13CA3500505_005_005-201809131015ND
2018-11-14CA3500505_005_005-201811141030ND
2018-11-27CA3500505_002_002-201811271215ND
2018-12-11CA3500505_001_001-201812111139ND
2019-03-26CA3500505_001_001-201903261406ND
2019-03-26CA3500505_005_005-201903261100ND
2019-12-23CA3500505_001_001-201912231110ND
2019-12-23CA3500505_002_002-201912231035ND
2019-12-23CA3500505_005_005-201912230940ND
2021-03-15CA3500505_005_005-202103151209ND
2021-03-29CA3500505_001_001-202103290656ND