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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

Houston County - Feagin Mill

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.

 

27

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND10ND
2015ND100ND
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018ND130ND
2019ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-03-31AI36885ND
2015-03-09AI68555ND
2015-03-09AI68554ND
2015-03-09AI68553ND
2015-03-09AI68552ND
2015-03-09AI68551ND
2015-03-09AI68550ND
2015-03-09AI68549ND
2015-03-09AI68548ND
2015-03-09AI68547ND
2015-03-09AI68546ND
2018-03-07AJ85200ND
2018-03-07AJ85202ND
2018-03-07AJ85201ND
2018-03-07AJ85198ND
2018-03-07AJ85197ND
2018-03-07AJ85195ND
2018-03-07AJ85194ND
2018-03-07AJ85193ND
2018-03-07AJ85192ND
2018-05-01AJ88366ND
2018-05-01AJ88365ND
2018-07-16AJ94220ND
2018-10-30AK04996ND
2019-01-15AK09485ND
2019-04-15AK15201ND
2019-05-28AK18282ND