Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

City of Caldwell

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

26

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
2019ND90ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND50ND
2022ND120ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2019-08-06S1938597ND
2019-08-06S1938599ND
2019-08-06S1938601ND
2019-08-06S1938594ND
2019-08-06S1938591ND
2019-08-06S1938593ND
2019-08-19S1941181ND
2019-08-19S1941172ND
2019-08-19S1941179ND
2021-06-30S2132702ND
2021-10-28S2158342ND
2021-10-28S2158341ND
2021-10-28S2158343ND
2021-11-15S2162154ND
2022-06-29S2231081ND
2022-07-06S2231994ND
2022-07-06S2231993ND
2022-07-06S2232001ND
2022-07-13S2233509ND
2022-10-12S2251056ND
2022-10-12S2251055ND
2022-10-12S2251041ND
2022-10-12S2251030ND
2022-10-19S2252265ND
2022-10-19S2252264ND
2022-10-19S2252266ND