Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Triple R Mutual Water Company

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND100ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND60ND
2023N/A00N/A

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
2019-12-11CA5400670_007_007-201912111210ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_008_008-201912111255ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_006_006-201912111100ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_004_004-201912110955ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_010_010-201912111225ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_009_009-201912111115ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_001_001-201912111035ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_005_005-201912111140ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_002_002-201912111155ND
2019-12-11CA5400670_011_011-201912111210ND
2020-06-29CA5400670_011_011-202006291640ND
2020-09-28CA5400670_011_011-202009281620ND
2020-12-20CA5400670_011_011-202012201140ND
2021-03-13CA5400670_011_011-202103131200ND
2022-03-27CA5400670_011_011-202203271455ND
2022-06-24CA5400670_009_009-202206241305ND
2022-12-28CA5400670_008_008-202212281100ND
2022-12-28CA5400670_001_001-202212281000ND
2022-12-28CA5400670_007_007-202212281115ND
2022-12-28CA5400670_006_006-202212281030ND