Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Yuima Municipal Water District Ida

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.

 

34

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND100ND

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
2018-01-09CA3700938_012_012-201801090920ND
2018-04-10CA3700938_012_012-201804100800ND
2018-07-10CA3700938_012_012-201807100800ND
2018-07-10CA3700938_005_005-201807100830ND
2018-10-09CA3700938_012_012-201810091105ND
2019-01-08CA3700938_012_012-201901080815ND
2019-04-09CA3700938_012_012-201904091125ND
2019-07-09CA3700938_012_012-201907090845ND
2019-10-08CA3700938_012_012-201910080900ND
2020-01-14CA3700938_012_012-202001141007ND
2020-04-14CA3700938_012_012-202004140830ND
2020-07-14CA3700938_012_012-202007141110ND
2020-07-14CA3700938_006_006-202007141010ND
2020-07-14CA3700938_031_031-202007141035ND
2020-07-14CA3700938_048_048-202007141207ND
2020-10-13CA3700938_012_012-202010131000ND
2021-01-12CA3700938_012_012-202101120915ND
2021-04-13CA3700938_012_012-202104131230ND
2021-07-13CA3700938_005_005-202107130930ND
2021-07-13CA3700938_012_012-202107130825ND
2021-10-18CA3700938_012_012-202110181100ND
2022-01-10CA3700938_012_012-202201100800ND
2022-04-04CA3700938_012_012-202204041200ND
2022-10-12CA3700938_012_012-202210120845ND
2023-02-13CA3700938_012_012-202302131315ND
2023-05-01CA3700938_037_037-202305011010ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_006_006-202307110750ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_011_011-202307110900ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_047_047-202307110840ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_004_004-202307110730ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_012_012-202307110915ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_031_031-202307110730ND
2023-07-11CA3700938_020_020-202307110750ND
2023-10-02CA3700938_048_048-202310020840ND