Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

San Joaquin County-mokelumne Acres

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.

 

13

Samples

4

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

5

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.567 ppb31ND - 1.70 ppb
2019ND20ND
2020N/A00N/A
20217.48 ppb42ND - 15.5 ppb
20226.90 ppb42ND - 15.5 ppb
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
2018-12-05CA3910017_009_009-201812051025ND
2018-12-05CA3910017_008_008-201812050945ND
2018-12-05CA3910017_007_007-2018120510001.70 ppb
2019-08-07CA3910017_006_006-201908071100ND
2019-08-07CA3910017_003_003-201908071045ND
2021-12-14CA3910017_008_008-202112141020ND
2021-12-14CA3910017_007_007-20211214103014.4 ppb
2021-12-14CA3910017_009_009-202112140955ND
2021-12-27CA3910017_007_007-20211227111015.5 ppb
2022-01-26CA3910017_007_007-20220126113015.5 ppb
2022-02-02CA3910017_007_007-20220202120012.1 ppb
2022-08-09CA3910017_006_006-202208091005ND
2022-08-09CA3910017_003_003-202208090901ND