Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Avon Water Company

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND100ND
2019ND80ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND70ND
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
2018-03-05D8C0238-03VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-04VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-05VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-06VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-07VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-08VOCND
2018-03-05D8C0238-02VOCND
2018-04-25D8D2151-07VOCND
2018-07-26CA98747ND
2018-10-09VOC1 200508699ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519995ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519994ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519996ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519993ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519992ND
2019-01-29VOC1 200519991ND
2019-04-16VOC1 200528742ND
2019-08-13VOC1 200544842ND
2020-08-10VOC1 200585683ND
2020-08-10VOC1 200586606ND
2021-06-01VOC1 200619066ND
2021-06-08VOC1 200620139ND
2022-01-17CK17776ND
2022-01-17CK17777ND
2022-01-17CK17778ND
2022-03-24CK96357ND
2022-03-28CK96358ND
2022-03-28CK96359ND
2022-08-18CM11956ND
2023-03-03CN54373ND