Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Village Apartments

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-18CA5400875_002_002-201809180715ND
2018-12-05CA5400875_002_002-201812051240ND
2019-03-05CA5400875_002_002-201903051300ND
2019-06-10CA5400875_002_002-201906101350ND
2019-09-17CA5400875_002_002-201909171425ND
2020-02-14CA5400875_002_002-202002141245ND
2020-05-27CA5400875_002_002-202005271900ND
2021-02-22CA5400875_002_002-202102221245ND
2021-05-06CA5400875_002_002-202105061225ND
2021-12-15CA5400875_002_002-202112151035ND
2022-02-03CA5400875_002_002-202202031100ND
2022-08-08CA5400875_002_002-202208081420ND
2022-11-09CA5400875_002_002-202211091245ND
2023-02-13CA5400875_002_002-202302131145ND
2023-05-04CA5400875_002_002-202305041245ND
2023-08-02CA5400875_002_002-202308021320ND
2023-11-07CA5400875_002_002-202311071045ND