Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Bristol Water Department

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.

 

28

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-01-10D8A0568-04VOCND
2018-01-10D8A0568-03VOCND
2018-01-10D8A0568-02VOCND
2018-01-10D8A0568-01VOCND
2019-10-28D9J2584-01VOCND
2019-10-28D9J2584-04VOCND
2019-10-28D9J2584-03VOCND
2019-10-28D9J2584-02VOCND
2020-11-19D0K1813-01VOCND
2020-11-19D0K1813-02VOCND
2020-11-19D0K1813-03VOCND
2020-11-19D0K1813-04VOCND
2021-08-12D1H1346-03VOCND
2021-08-12D1H1346-04VOCND
2021-08-12D1H1346-02VOCND
2021-08-12D1H1346-01VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-01VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-04VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-05VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-02VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-03VOCND
2022-11-21D2K1965-06VOCND
2022-11-28D2K2374-01VOCND
2022-11-28D2K2374-02VOCND
2023-03-06D3C0654-01VOCND
2023-03-06D3C0654-02VOCND
2023-03-06D3C0654-03VOCND
2023-03-15D3C1373-01VOCND