Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

CTWC - Shoreline Region-Guilford System

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND150ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND10ND
2022ND150ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-07-09CA86688ND
2019-01-30SOC 200520057ND
2019-06-06SOC 200535308ND
2019-06-06SOC 200535309ND
2019-06-11SOC 200536055ND
2019-06-11SOC 200536054ND
2019-06-19SOC 200542695ND
2019-06-24SOC 200537520ND
2019-07-29SOC 200542348ND
2019-07-30SOC 200542453ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542480ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542466ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542497ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542499ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542468ND
2019-08-14SOC 200544869ND
2021-09-30S300072074 300072087ND
2022-06-14CL56474ND
2022-06-14CL56470ND
2022-06-14CL56472ND
2022-06-15CL57887ND
2022-06-15CL57885ND
2022-06-22CL62297ND
2022-06-28CL66245ND
2022-07-18CL80434ND
2022-07-18CL80436ND
2022-07-18CL80438ND
2022-07-18CL80432ND
2022-07-25CL88838ND
2022-08-04CM00447ND
2022-08-29CM17828ND
2022-10-19CM66672ND