Benzene

UC - Davis

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Range of results
2014	ND	7	ND
2015	ND	2	ND
2016	N/A	0	N/A
2017	ND	6	ND
2018	N/A	0	N/A
2019	N/A	0	N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-03-25	5810-026-1050	ND
2014-05-20	5810-026-0650	ND
2014-09-04	5810-001-0742	ND
2014-09-04	5810-002-0929	ND
2014-09-04	5810-004-0953	ND
2014-09-04	5810-015-1305	ND
2014-09-04	5810-026-0850	ND
2015-02-19	5810-014-1030	ND
2015-03-24	5810-026-0900	ND
2017-09-27	5810-001-1040	ND
2017-09-27	5810-002-1225	ND
2017-09-27	5810-004-1020	ND
2017-09-27	5810-014-1205	ND
2017-09-27	5810-015-0940	ND
2017-09-27	5810-026-1005	ND