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

City of Tulare

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

173

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.0122 ppb	26	9	ND - 0.0740 ppb
2015	0.0143 ppb	32	13	ND - 0.0580 ppb
2016	0.0138 ppb	26	11	ND - 0.110 ppb
2017	0.00741 ppb	29	11	ND - 0.0270 ppb
2018	0.00663 ppb	24	8	ND - 0.0240 ppb
2019	0.00772 ppb	36	15	ND - 0.0520 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-03-19	5810-019-0827	0.0350 ppb
2014-03-19	5810-021-0800	0.0270 ppb
2014-03-19	5810-022-0845	ND
2014-03-19	5810-023-0930	ND
2014-06-05	5810-019-0900	0.0620 ppb
2014-06-05	5810-021-0900	0.0330 ppb
2014-06-05	5810-022-0705	0.0130 ppb
2014-06-05	5810-025-1035	ND
2014-06-18	5810-008-0700	ND
2014-06-18	5810-011-0730	ND
2014-06-18	5810-012-0800	0.0190 ppb
2014-06-18	5810-013-0820	ND
2014-08-20	5810-012-0645	0.0220 ppb
2014-08-28	5810-001-0840	ND
2014-08-28	5810-002-0730	ND
2014-08-28	5810-014-0645	ND
2014-08-28	5810-015-0755	ND
2014-08-28	5810-017-0715	ND
2014-08-28	5810-047-0845	ND
2014-12-09	5810-019-0828	0.0740 ppb
2014-12-09	5810-021-0815	0.0320 ppb
2014-12-09	5810-022-1000	ND
2014-12-10	5810-025-1025	ND
2014-12-10	5810-026-1120	ND
2014-12-10	5810-033-0800	ND
2014-12-10	5810-048-0915	ND
2015-03-05	5810-019-0947	0.0580 ppb
2015-03-05	5810-021-0935	0.0390 ppb
2015-03-05	5810-022-0825	ND
2015-06-04	5810-019-0845	0.0500 ppb
2015-06-04	5810-021-0815	0.0290 ppb
2015-06-04	5810-022-0905	ND
2015-06-04	5810-025-0900	ND
2015-06-26	5810-001-1130	ND
2015-06-26	5810-002-0740	ND
2015-06-26	5810-008-0845	ND
2015-06-26	5810-012-1015	0.0260 ppb
2015-09-15	5810-012-1005	0.0270 ppb
2015-09-15	5810-019-0855	0.0360 ppb
2015-09-15	5810-021-0825	0.0220 ppb
2015-09-15	5810-022-0942	ND
2015-09-17	5810-012-0830	0.0340 ppb
2015-09-17	5810-013-0715	ND
2015-09-17	5810-015-0630	ND
2015-09-17	5810-017-0940	ND
2015-09-17	5810-025-1115	ND
2015-09-17	5810-048-1020	ND
2015-12-09	5810-012-0910	0.0340 ppb
2015-12-09	5810-019-0830	0.0520 ppb
2015-12-09	5810-021-0845	0.0280 ppb
2015-12-09	5810-022-1040	ND
2015-12-15	5810-026-0850	ND
2015-12-15	5810-047-0950	ND
2015-12-15	5810-051-0820	ND
2015-12-15	5810-052-0815	ND
2015-12-15	5810-055-0855	0.0230 ppb
2015-12-15	5810-056-0830	ND
2015-12-15	5810-057-0905	ND
2016-03-15	5810-019-0925	0.0370 ppb
2016-03-15	5810-021-0955	0.0220 ppb
2016-03-15	5810-026-0855	ND
2016-06-16	5810-014-0840	ND
2016-06-16	5810-019-0750	0.0320 ppb
2016-06-16	5810-021-0840	0.0260 ppb
2016-06-16	5810-022-0840	ND
2016-06-16	5810-069-0705	ND
2016-06-24	5810-025-0845	ND
2016-07-11	5810-061-1110	ND
2016-07-14	5810-061-0700	ND
2016-08-25	5810-011-0700	ND
2016-09-15	5810-012-0705	0.0210 ppb
2016-09-15	5810-019-0845	0.0230 ppb
2016-09-15	5810-021-0800	0.0210 ppb
2016-09-15	5810-022-0730	ND
2016-09-15	5810-026-0735	ND
2016-09-15	5810-047-1045	ND
2016-09-15	5810-061-0955	ND
2016-09-15	5810-065-0748	ND
2016-09-15	5810-069-0850	0.0150 ppb
2016-12-20	5810-019-0935	0.0320 ppb
2016-12-20	5810-021-0925	0.110 ppb
2016-12-20	5810-022-1150	ND
2016-12-20	5810-033-1040	ND
2016-12-20	5810-067-0730	0.0200 ppb
2017-03-09	5810-012-0815	0.0270 ppb
2017-03-09	5810-019-1030	0.0210 ppb
2017-03-09	5810-021-0955	0.0250 ppb
2017-03-09	5810-022-0835	ND
2017-05-18	5810-073-1200	ND
2017-06-08	5810-012-1140	0.0160 ppb
2017-06-08	5810-019-1020	0.0170 ppb
2017-06-08	5810-021-1155	0.0230 ppb
2017-06-22	5810-048-0810	ND
2017-06-22	5810-051-0735	ND
2017-06-22	5810-052-0700	ND
2017-06-22	5810-055-0800	0.0120 ppb
2017-06-22	5810-056-0730	ND
2017-06-22	5810-057-0800	ND
2017-09-07	5810-012-0715	0.0140 ppb
2017-09-07	5810-021-0845	0.0190 ppb
2017-09-07	5810-022-0805	ND
2017-09-21	5810-002-0810	ND
2017-09-21	5810-008-0320	ND
2017-09-21	5810-011-0850	ND
2017-09-21	5810-061-0855	ND
2017-09-21	5810-065-0715	ND
2017-09-21	5810-069-0815	ND
2017-12-07	5810-021-0935	0.0180 ppb
2017-12-07	5810-022-1015	ND
2017-12-21	5810-012-0930	0.0230 ppb
2017-12-21	5810-013-0850	ND
2017-12-21	5810-015-0855	ND
2017-12-21	5810-017-0815	ND
2018-03-08	5810-012-1155	0.0240 ppb
2018-03-08	5810-021-1100	0.0210 ppb
2018-06-07	5810-021-1025	0.0220 ppb
2018-06-07	5810-025-1045	ND
2018-06-07	5810-026-0940	ND
2018-06-07	5810-051-0835	ND
2018-06-07	5810-055-0930	0.0120 ppb
2018-06-25	5810-073-1110	ND
2018-09-06	5810-021-1000	0.0200 ppb
2018-09-20	5810-001-0930	ND
2018-09-20	5810-033-0820	ND
2018-09-20	5810-047-0830	ND
2018-09-20	5810-048-0830	ND
2018-09-20	5810-052-0715	ND
2018-09-20	5810-073-0730	ND
2018-12-04	5810-012-0910	0.0220 ppb
2018-12-05	5810-069-0800	ND
2018-12-20	5810-017-1020	ND
2018-12-20	5810-056-1220	ND
2018-12-20	5810-057-1300	0.0190 ppb
2018-12-20	5810-061-0855	ND
2018-12-20	5810-065-0845	ND
2018-12-20	5810-069-1015	0.0190 ppb
2018-12-20	5810-073-0812	ND
2019-03-07	5810-012-1005	0.0220 ppb
2019-03-07	5810-021-1140	0.0520 ppb
2019-03-07	5810-069-1105	0.0120 ppb
2019-03-21	5810-014-0830	ND
2019-03-21	5810-015-0930	ND
2019-03-21	5810-073-0930	ND
2019-03-22	5810-075-1130	ND
2019-06-06	5810-012-0925	0.0170 ppb
2019-06-06	5810-021-0955	0.0250 ppb
2019-06-06	5810-069-1145	0.0110 ppb
2019-06-20	5810-017-0515	ND
2019-06-20	5810-048-0700	ND
2019-06-20	5810-051-0630	ND
2019-06-20	5810-055-0740	0.0130 ppb
2019-06-20	5810-056-0825	ND
2019-06-20	5810-073-0720	ND
2019-06-20	5810-075-0645	ND
2019-07-19	5810-077-1315	ND
2019-09-05	5810-012-1055	0.01000 ppb
2019-09-05	5810-021-1015	0.0220 ppb
2019-09-05	5810-069-1200	0.0110 ppb
2019-09-17	5810-011-0900	ND
2019-09-17	5810-012-0945	0.0180 ppb
2019-09-17	5810-061-0805	ND
2019-09-17	5810-065-0715	ND
2019-09-17	5810-069-0830	0.0120 ppb
2019-09-17	5810-073-0900	ND
2019-09-17	5810-075-0805	ND
2019-09-24	5810-077-0700	ND
2019-12-05	5810-012-0845	0.0180 ppb
2019-12-05	5810-021-0935	0.0200 ppb
2019-12-05	5810-069-1025	0.0150 ppb
2019-12-19	5810-013-0930	ND
2019-12-19	5810-073-0845	ND
2019-12-19	5810-075-0945	ND
2019-12-19	5810-077-0815	ND