Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Connecticut Water Company - Northern Region-Western System

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

22

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-23BZ78888VOC1ND
2018-01-31BZ82950VOC1ND
2018-07-13CA89901ND
2019-01-02VOC1 200517309ND
2019-03-15VOC1 200524883ND
2020-01-02VOC1 200561504ND
2020-06-29VOC1 200580772ND
2020-08-11VOC1 200586573ND
2020-09-21VOC1 200591014ND
2020-10-07VOC1 200593218ND
2021-03-05VOC1 200608707ND
2021-09-14300059932 300059934ND
2022-01-24CK22294ND
2022-01-25CK23175ND
2022-01-25CK23176ND
2022-02-01CK27428ND
2022-02-16CK69359ND
2022-08-26CM16199ND
2022-09-08CM25672ND
2022-09-20CM37295ND
2023-01-17CN24238ND
2023-12-13CP67269ND