Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Woodlake, City Of

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.

 

29

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND70ND
2019ND80ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND10ND

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
2018-02-27CA5410020_010_010-201802271418ND
2018-02-27CA5410020_009_009-201802271430ND
2018-06-28CA5410020_009_009-201806281344ND
2018-06-28CA5410020_010_010-201806281355ND
2018-09-20CA5410020_010_010-201809201140ND
2018-09-20CA5410020_009_009-201809201154ND
2018-12-28CA5410020_009_009-201812281305ND
2019-03-11CA5410020_010_010-201903111250ND
2019-03-11CA5410020_009_009-201903111238ND
2019-05-07CA5410020_010_010-201905071315ND
2019-05-07CA5410020_009_009-201905071340ND
2019-08-22CA5410020_009_009-201908221331ND
2019-08-22CA5410020_010_010-201908221315ND
2019-11-26CA5410020_009_009-201911261340ND
2019-11-26CA5410020_010_010-201911261325ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_010_010-202009151144ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_005_005-202009151220ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_008_008-202009151125ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_009_009-202009151138ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_006_006-202009151202ND
2020-12-08CA5410020_007_007-202012081305ND
2020-12-08CA5410020_004_004-202012081250ND
2021-02-22CA5410020_007_007-202102221118ND
2021-02-22CA5410020_004_004-202102221134ND
2021-08-31CA5410020_009_009-202108311119ND
2021-08-31CA5410020_010_010-202108311128ND
2021-08-31CA5410020_005_005-202108311010ND
2022-09-27CA5410020_008_008-202209271225ND
2023-08-15CA5410020_006_006-202308151200ND