Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Ethylbenzene

Greenwood Acres Water Company

NOTE: Greenwood Acres Water Company purchases water from Des Moines Water Works which is required to test for ethylbenzene. Sample information shown below was taken by Des Moines Water Works.

Ethylbenzene, a component of petroleum, is a volatile cancer-causing chemical primarily used for production of plastics and rubber. Ethylbenzene is also released from gasoline fuel emissions. Read More.

In animal studies, exposure to ethylbenzene causes tumors. Ethylbenzene can also damage lungs, liver, kidneys and the nervous system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylbenzene as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

 

13

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND10ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 300 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 300 ppb for ethylbenzene 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 harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 700 ppb

The legal limit for ethylbenzene, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1950s.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: Greenwood Acres Water Company purchases water from Des Moines Water Works which is required to test for ethylbenzene. Sample information shown below was taken by Des Moines Water Works.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-07-09OE680202ND
2018-07-16OE683859ND
2018-10-08OE724008ND
2019-07-09OE831885ND
2019-07-16OE835743ND
2019-08-21OE854920ND
2020-10-12OE1332018ND
2021-07-06OE1748365ND
2021-07-06OE1748381ND
2022-07-05OE2128016ND
2022-07-05OE2128018ND
2022-09-19OE2175664ND
2023-10-16OE2350834ND