Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Woodlake, City Of

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.

 

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: 0.06 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
2018-02-27CA5410020_010_010-201802271418ND
2018-02-27CA5410020_009_009-201802271430ND
2018-06-28CA5410020_010_010-201806281355ND
2018-06-28CA5410020_009_009-201806281344ND
2018-09-20CA5410020_010_010-201809201140ND
2018-09-20CA5410020_009_009-201809201154ND
2018-12-28CA5410020_009_009-201812281305ND
2019-03-11CA5410020_009_009-201903111238ND
2019-03-11CA5410020_010_010-201903111250ND
2019-05-07CA5410020_010_010-201905071315ND
2019-05-07CA5410020_009_009-201905071340ND
2019-08-22CA5410020_010_010-201908221315ND
2019-08-22CA5410020_009_009-201908221331ND
2019-11-26CA5410020_010_010-201911261325ND
2019-11-26CA5410020_009_009-201911261340ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_006_006-202009151202ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_009_009-202009151138ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_008_008-202009151125ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_005_005-202009151220ND
2020-09-15CA5410020_010_010-202009151144ND
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_010_010-202108311128ND
2021-08-31CA5410020_005_005-202108311010ND
2021-08-31CA5410020_009_009-202108311119ND
2022-09-27CA5410020_008_008-202209271225ND
2023-08-15CA5410020_006_006-202308151200ND