Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Pineora Water System

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

6

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND
20201.10 ppb221.10 ppb
20210.945 ppb220.920 ppb - 0.970 ppb
20220.895 ppb220.880 ppb - 0.910 ppb
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-20AJ84371ND
2018-02-20AJ84372ND
2019-04-08AK14895ND
2019-04-08AK14896ND
2020-06-15AK484611.10 ppb
2020-06-15AK484621.10 ppb
2021-04-06AK726400.920 ppb
2021-04-06AK726410.970 ppb
2022-03-28AK979650.910 ppb
2022-03-28AK979660.880 ppb
2023-05-15AL31830ND
2023-05-15AL31831ND