Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Vernon Village Inc.

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.

 

48

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
2022ND80ND
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
2018-01-12BZ72200VOC1ND
2018-01-12BZ72199VOC1ND
2018-04-12CA18734VOC1ND
2018-04-12CA18733VOC1ND
2018-07-25CA97190ND
2018-07-25CA97191ND
2018-10-16CB72178ND
2018-10-16CB72179ND
2019-03-22CC73403ND
2019-03-22CC73404ND
2019-05-07CD07904ND
2019-05-07CD07905ND
2019-08-06CD78425ND
2019-08-06CD78424ND
2019-10-28CE49240ND
2019-10-28CE49241ND
2020-01-14CF11629ND
2020-01-14CF11630ND
2020-04-17CF75187ND
2020-04-17CF75188ND
2020-08-18CG55356ND
2020-08-18CG55242ND
2020-11-16CH14954ND
2020-11-16CH14955ND
2021-01-26CH52620ND
2021-01-26CH52621ND
2021-04-23CI14718ND
2021-04-23CI14719ND
2021-08-27CJ15585ND
2021-08-27CJ15586ND
2021-10-13CJ54506ND
2021-10-13CJ54507ND
2022-01-12CK14253ND
2022-01-12CK14254ND
2022-04-19CL11439ND
2022-04-19CL11440ND
2022-07-14CL77398ND
2022-07-14CL77399ND
2022-10-21CM67688ND
2022-10-21CM67689ND
2023-01-12CN22175ND
2023-01-12CN22176ND
2023-04-06CN77426ND
2023-04-06CN77427ND
2023-07-13CO49631ND
2023-07-13CO49632ND
2023-10-23CP31310ND
2023-10-23CP31311ND