Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of Post Falls

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND70ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND10ND
2022ND100ND
2023ND70ND

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
2019-11-12V210892ND
2019-11-13V210942ND
2019-11-18V211063ND
2019-11-18V211060ND
2019-11-19V211104ND
2019-12-09V211717ND
2019-12-16V211918ND
2021-11-30V202111052502ND
2022-02-09V202202020202ND
2022-03-09V202203020202ND
2022-03-09V202203020101ND
2022-03-14V202203025402ND
2022-03-14V202203025302ND
2022-04-27V202204053602ND
2022-06-06V2022060086ND
2022-06-07V2022060100ND
2022-07-13V202207033802ND
2022-11-01V202211003902ND
2023-01-25V202301040802ND
2023-05-15V202305028802ND
2023-07-25VMDG08170102ND
2023-07-25VMDG08170302ND
2023-07-25VMDG08170502ND
2023-07-25VMDG08170702ND
2023-12-13V202312023502ND