Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Village Apartments

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.

 

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: 0.06 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
2018-09-18CA5400875_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