Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Lyme Academy Apartments LLC

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.

 

46

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND80ND
2019ND80ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND80ND

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
2018-01-11BZ71422VOC1ND
2018-01-11BZ71421VOC1ND
2018-04-05CA14773VOC1ND
2018-04-05CA14772VOC1ND
2018-07-16CA90748ND
2018-07-16CA90749ND
2018-10-11CB69892ND
2018-10-11CB69893ND
2019-02-05CC40790ND
2019-02-05CC40791ND
2019-04-08CC90374ND
2019-04-08CC90375ND
2019-07-22CD62263ND
2019-07-22CD62264ND
2019-10-17CE42740ND
2019-10-17CE42741ND
2020-01-06CE97455ND
2020-01-06CE97456ND
2020-05-14CF95918ND
2020-05-14CF95919ND
2020-07-28CG42986ND
2020-07-28CG42987ND
2020-11-16CH15471ND
2020-11-16CH15470ND
2021-01-12CH44932ND
2021-01-12CH44933ND
2021-05-24CI38043ND
2021-05-24CI38044ND
2021-07-27CI83441ND
2021-07-27CI83442ND
2021-10-27CJ66731ND
2021-10-27CJ66732ND
2022-06-28CL66217ND
2022-06-28CL66218ND
2022-09-26CM41859ND
2022-09-26CM41860ND
2022-12-08CN01080ND
2022-12-08CN01081ND
2023-02-27CN50099ND
2023-02-27CN50100ND
2023-04-24CN90125ND
2023-04-24CN90126ND
2023-07-26CO60006ND
2023-07-26CO60007ND
2023-10-25CP34056ND
2023-10-25CP34057ND