Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Wallingford Water Department

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.

 

34

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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
2018-03-05BZ98169ND
2018-04-17CA21065ND
2018-06-28CA80407ND
2018-07-17CA91980ND
2018-08-14CB11135ND
2018-10-11CB69933ND
2019-02-21CC55842-02ND
2019-03-06CC62592-02ND
2019-03-06CC62591-02ND
2019-04-08CC90384ND
2019-07-08CD51593ND
2019-10-10CE30938-VOCND
2020-02-03CF25156ND
2020-02-05CF27861ND
2020-03-11CF48935ND
2020-04-08CF71118ND
2020-08-12CG53027ND
2020-10-07CG95538ND
2021-02-03CH55990-VOCND
2021-03-10CH75493ND
2021-04-07CH94007ND
2021-04-07CH94005ND
2021-09-15CJ30037ND
2021-10-06CJ50288ND
2022-02-07CK32469-VOCND
2022-03-09CK82546ND
2022-04-06CL02035-VOCND
2022-08-10CM01614ND
2022-11-16CM86907ND
2023-01-11CN21046ND
2023-02-06CN36383ND
2023-04-12CN81747ND
2023-07-12CO49576ND
2023-10-26CP34585ND