Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Hazardville Water Company

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.

 

39

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND90ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND90ND

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
2018-01-03BZ68303VOC1ND
2018-04-03CA12985VOC1ND
2018-07-02CA82195ND
2018-07-02CA82195VOC1ND
2018-07-02CA82194ND
2018-10-10CB69247ND
2019-01-07CC25226ND
2019-04-02CC79783ND
2019-07-09CD52639ND
2019-07-09CD52640ND
2019-10-08CE28924ND
2020-01-13CF12156ND
2020-04-01CF59969ND
2020-07-01CG26322ND
2020-07-01CG26319ND
2020-07-01CG26321ND
2020-07-01CG26323ND
2020-07-01CG26320ND
2020-07-01CG26324ND
2020-12-21CH35890ND
2021-02-02CH56335ND
2021-04-12CH98310ND
2021-07-07CI68950ND
2021-07-07CI68951ND
2021-10-12CJ55044ND
2022-01-05CK10281ND
2022-04-12CL06123ND
2022-07-18CL79816ND
2022-07-18CL79821ND
2022-10-04CM49070ND
2023-01-09CN19981ND
2023-04-03CN75054ND
2023-07-17CO51862ND
2023-07-17CO51859ND
2023-07-17CO51861ND
2023-07-17CO51863ND
2023-07-17CO51860ND
2023-07-17CO51864ND
2023-10-10CP21649ND