Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

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

Little Potato Slough Mutual

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

7

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
20210.0336 ppb53ND - 0.0780 ppb
20220.00375 ppb41ND - 0.0150 ppb
20230.0395 ppb43ND - 0.0618 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
2018-01-05CA3910022_002_002-201801051100ND
2018-11-19CA3910022_001_001-201811190845ND
2018-12-28CA3910022_002_002-201812281145ND
2021-02-01CA3910022_001_001-2021020109500.0500 ppb
2021-05-03CA3910022_001_001-2021050308550.0400 ppb
2021-06-07CA3910022_002_002-202106070900ND
2021-09-13CA3910022_001_001-202109131500ND
2021-11-01CA3910022_001_001-2021110109400.0780 ppb
2022-02-07CA3910022_001_001-202202070912ND
2022-05-02CA3910022_001_001-2022050210200.0150 ppb
2022-09-12CA3910022_001_001-202209121340ND
2022-11-07CA3910022_001_001-202211070915ND
2023-02-06CA3910022_001_001-2023020609500.0360 ppb
2023-05-01CA3910022_001_001-2023050109100.0600 ppb
2023-08-07CA3910022_001_001-202308070925ND
2023-11-06CA3910022_001_001-2023110608500.0618 ppb