Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

San Antonio Water Company

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

93

Samples

3

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

40

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0793 ppb158ND - 0.240 ppb
20190.0592 ppb125ND - 0.230 ppb
20200.0322 ppb299ND - 0.160 ppb
20210.0720 ppb158ND - 0.170 ppb
20220.104 ppb96ND - 0.200 ppb
20230.0416 ppb134ND - 0.200 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-26CA3610085_003_003-201801260845ND
2018-02-01CA3610085_003_003-201802011215ND
2018-02-01CA3610085_004_004-2018020112050.170 ppb
2018-02-01CA3610085_011_011-2018020112050.240 ppb
2018-05-08CA3610085_011_011-201805081228ND
2018-05-08CA3610085_003_003-201805081214ND
2018-05-08CA3610085_004_004-2018050812250.0900 ppb
2018-07-20CA3610085_004_004-2018072011350.120 ppb
2018-07-20CA3610085_003_003-201807201156ND
2018-09-11CA3610085_003_003-201809111205ND
2018-09-11CA3610085_011_011-2018091112300.130 ppb
2018-09-11CA3610085_004_004-2018091112200.130 ppb
2018-10-26CA3610085_011_011-2018102609300.170 ppb
2018-10-26CA3610085_003_003-201810261000ND
2018-10-26CA3610085_004_004-2018102609400.140 ppb
2019-01-04CA3610085_011_011-2019010409530.210 ppb
2019-01-11CA3610085_004_004-2019011109300.120 ppb
2019-01-11CA3610085_003_003-201901111100ND
2019-04-04CA3610085_003_003-201904041200ND
2019-04-04CA3610085_011_011-2019040411300.230 ppb
2019-04-16CA3610085_004_004-2019041608120.140 ppb
2019-07-16CA3610085_011_011-201907161250ND
2019-07-16CA3610085_003_003-201907161305ND
2019-07-17CA3610085_004_004-201907170800ND
2019-10-01CA3610085_003_003-201910011210ND
2019-10-01CA3610085_011_011-2019100111470.01000 ppb
2019-10-10CA3610085_004_004-201910101215ND
2020-01-23CA3610085_004_004-2020012311150.0520 ppb
2020-01-23CA3610085_003_003-202001231100ND
2020-01-23CA3610085_011_011-2020012312300.0710 ppb
2020-02-18CA3610085_001_001-202002181150ND
2020-02-18CA3610085_002_002-202002181207ND
2020-02-18CA3610085_013_013-202002181042ND
2020-02-18CA3610085_017_017-202002181035ND
2020-02-18CA3610085_018_018-202002181210ND
2020-02-24CA3610085_016_016-202002240940ND
2020-04-07CA3610085_003_003-202004071116ND
2020-04-07CA3610085_004_004-202004071128ND
2020-04-07CA3610085_021_021-202004071020ND
2020-04-07CA3610085_011_011-2020040711430.01000 ppb
2020-07-07CA3610085_011_011-2020070711390.130 ppb
2020-07-07CA3610085_003_003-202007071200ND
2020-07-09CA3610085_004_004-2020070909140.120 ppb
2020-09-29CA3610085_001_001-202009291040ND
2020-09-29CA3610085_018_018-202009290800ND
2020-09-29CA3610085_016_016-202009291145ND
2020-10-06CA3610085_017_017-202010061130ND
2020-10-06CA3610085_002_002-202010061100ND
2020-10-06CA3610085_013_013-202010061150ND
2020-10-13CA3610085_011_011-2020101309000.160 ppb
2020-10-13CA3610085_003_003-202010130830ND
2020-10-14CA3610085_004_004-2020101409300.120 ppb
2020-11-17CA3610085_004_004-2020111710420.120 ppb
2020-11-17CA3610085_021_021-202011171100ND
2020-11-17CA3610085_003_003-202011171010ND
2020-11-17CA3610085_011_011-2020111710200.150 ppb
2021-01-26CA3610085_021_021-202101261530ND
2021-01-26CA3610085_011_011-2021012612500.170 ppb
2021-01-26CA3610085_003_003-202101261300ND
2021-01-28CA3610085_004_004-2021012809000.140 ppb
2021-04-20CA3610085_003_003-202104201012ND
2021-04-20CA3610085_011_011-2021042010230.140 ppb
2021-04-21CA3610085_004_004-2021042109300.120 ppb
2021-07-20CA3610085_011_011-2021072008420.130 ppb
2021-07-20CA3610085_003_003-202107201013ND
2021-07-27CA3610085_021_021-202107271245ND
2021-07-27CA3610085_004_004-2021072709080.130 ppb
2021-10-13CA3610085_003_003-202110131035ND
2021-10-13CA3610085_011_011-2021101310100.150 ppb
2021-10-13CA3610085_004_004-2021101309500.1000 ppb
2021-10-14CA3610085_021_021-202110140925ND
2022-01-12CA3610085_003_003-202201120935ND
2022-01-12CA3610085_011_011-2022011209520.150 ppb
2022-01-31CA3610085_004_004-2022013111090.150 ppb
2022-04-19CA3610085_011_011-2022041910200.200 ppb
2022-04-19CA3610085_003_003-202204191030ND
2022-04-19CA3610085_004_004-2022041910100.140 ppb
2022-07-20CA3610085_004_004-2022072009450.120 ppb
2022-07-20CA3610085_003_003-202207201030ND
2022-07-20CA3610085_011_011-2022072010100.180 ppb
2023-04-04CA3610085_003_003-202304041140ND
2023-04-20CA3610085_021_021-202304201200ND
2023-07-06CA3610085_003_003-202307061110ND
2023-07-06CA3610085_013_013-202307061425ND
2023-07-06CA3610085_011_011-2023070611550.200 ppb
2023-07-06CA3610085_017_017-202307061400ND
2023-07-10CA3610085_016_016-202307101515ND
2023-07-10CA3610085_001_001-202307101445ND
2023-07-12CA3610085_004_004-2023071209300.130 ppb
2023-07-12CA3610085_002_002-202307121140ND
2023-10-03CA3610085_003_003-202310031200ND
2023-10-24CA3610085_011_011-2023102407150.120 ppb
2023-10-24CA3610085_004_004-2023102407200.0910 ppb