Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

CTWC - Shoreline Region-Guilford System

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.

 

68

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND110ND
2019ND100ND
2020ND120ND
2021ND110ND
2022ND140ND
2023ND100ND

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
2018-01-16BZ73485VOC1ND
2018-03-30CA11464VOC1ND
2018-04-11CA18261VOC1ND
2018-07-09CA85598VOC1ND
2018-07-17CA91979ND
2018-09-13VOC1 200505275ND
2018-09-13VOC1 200505276ND
2018-09-13VOC1 200505266ND
2018-09-19VOC1 200506116ND
2018-09-20VOC1 200506324ND
2018-10-25VOC1 200510568ND
2019-01-30VOC1 200520057ND
2019-06-24VOC1 200538005ND
2019-07-08VOC1 200541172ND
2019-07-08VOC1 200539194ND
2019-07-16VOC1 200541091ND
2019-07-16VOC1 200540648ND
2019-07-16VOC1 200540644ND
2019-09-17VOC1 200549238ND
2019-09-18VOC1 200549465ND
2019-12-10VOC1 200559663ND
2020-01-14VOC1 200562856ND
2020-01-20VOC1 200563521ND
2020-01-21VOC1 200563515ND
2020-01-30VOC1 200564603ND
2020-02-11VOC1 200565799ND
2020-02-25VOC1 200567276ND
2020-04-01VOC1 200571017ND
2020-06-16VOC1 200579533ND
2020-07-14VOC1 200582708ND
2020-07-14VOC1 200582710ND
2020-10-06VOC1 200592866ND
2020-10-13VOC1 200593765ND
2021-01-05VOC1 200602753ND
2021-01-06VOC1 200602996ND
2021-01-25VOC1 200604768ND
2021-06-07VOC1 200621229ND
2021-06-23VOC1 200622004ND
2021-06-29VOC1 200622710ND
2021-07-12VOC1 200624252ND
2021-07-12VOC1 200624251ND
2021-07-20VOC1 200625447ND
2021-10-11V300077965 300077966ND
2021-12-06V300113153 300113155ND
2022-01-11CK14095ND
2022-01-11CK14105ND
2022-02-28CK76192ND
2022-03-07CK80900ND
2022-04-18CL11174ND
2022-06-14CL56476ND
2022-06-22CL62299ND
2022-07-06CL71457ND
2022-07-06CL71463ND
2022-07-26CL89875ND
2022-08-02CL95977ND
2022-08-15CM05635ND
2022-08-29CM17830ND
2022-12-19CN08248ND
2023-01-03CN16052ND
2023-01-09CN19603ND
2023-01-10CN20796ND
2023-01-10CN20798ND
2023-02-13CN41858ND
2023-05-10CO03368ND
2023-06-13CO27277ND
2023-09-18CP02429ND
2023-11-28CP55322ND
2023-11-29CP56431ND