Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Meridian Water Department

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.

 

133

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND200ND
2019ND160ND
2020ND280ND
2021ND120ND
2022ND110ND
2023ND460ND

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
2018-03-06V201803090756ND
2018-03-06V201803090755ND
2018-04-10V201805100879ND
2018-04-10V201804120311ND
2018-04-10V201805100878ND
2018-04-10V201805100872ND
2018-04-10V201805100877ND
2018-05-08V201805100999ND
2018-05-08V201805100998ND
2018-05-09V201805100995ND
2018-07-09V2018007111098ND
2018-07-09V2018007111097ND
2018-07-09V2018007111096ND
2018-07-09V2018007111095ND
2018-10-29V201810300481ND
2018-11-05V201811060665ND
2018-11-26201811270591ND
2018-11-26201811270593ND
2018-11-26V201811270593ND
2018-11-26V201811270591ND
2019-01-28V201901290168ND
2019-02-06V201902070845ND
2019-03-04V201903050292ND
2019-03-21V201903220258ND
2019-04-09201904100430ND
2019-05-09V201905100171ND
2019-05-09201907160181ND
2019-05-28V201907080764ND
2019-06-03201907080762ND
2019-06-06V201907160184ND
2019-06-06201907160184ND
2019-08-27201908280395ND
2019-09-12201909130169ND
2019-09-18201909190329ND
2019-12-10201912110666ND
2019-12-10V201912110681ND
2020-03-10202003110242ND
2020-03-10202003110253ND
2020-03-17202003180445ND
2020-03-17202003180487ND
2020-03-18202003190169ND
2020-04-07202004080530ND
2020-04-07202004080558ND
2020-04-14202004150455ND
2020-04-14202004160513ND
2020-04-20202004210417ND
2020-06-04202006050261ND
2020-06-04202006050260AND
2020-06-04V202006050260ND
2020-08-05202008060243ND
2020-08-06202008070395ND
2020-08-06202008070424ND
2020-08-06202008070429ND
2020-08-13202008140195ND
2020-08-24202008260646ND
2020-08-24202008260647ND
2020-08-26202008280065ND
2020-09-23202009240242ND
2020-11-18202011190503ND
2020-11-23202011240344ND
2020-11-23202011240342ND
2020-11-24202011250275ND
2020-11-24202011250284ND
2020-12-02202012030482ND
2021-01-19202101200341ND
2021-01-20202101210197ND
2021-01-20202101210280ND
2021-01-25202101260271ND
2021-01-26202101270578ND
2021-01-26202101270410ND
2021-01-26202101270577ND
2021-05-18202105190723ND
2021-07-15202107170079ND
2021-07-21202107220276ND
2021-11-16202111170828ND
2021-11-16202111170684ND
2022-02-15202202170046ND
2022-02-15202202160930ND
2022-02-22202202231265ND
2022-03-01202203030262ND
2022-03-01202203030263ND
2022-03-08202203100069ND
2022-05-10380-1913-2ND
2022-09-20810-38391-1ND
2022-09-20V2246791ND
2022-10-12380-24415-2ND
2022-11-16380-28732-1ND
2023-01-11380-34262-2ND
2023-06-05380-49974-4ND
2023-08-01380-57235-1ND
2023-08-02380-57434-1ND
2023-08-02380-57434-5ND
2023-08-02380-57496-1ND
2023-08-02380-57496-2ND
2023-08-02380-57460-1ND
2023-08-02380-57460-2ND
2023-08-02380-57439-1ND
2023-08-02380-57439-5ND
2023-08-02380-57464-1ND
2023-08-02380-57431-1AAND
2023-08-02380-57431-2AAND
2023-08-07380-57977-1ND
2023-08-07380-57977-2ND
2023-08-07380-57957-1ND
2023-08-07380-57957-2ND
2023-08-07380-57974-1ND
2023-08-07380-57974-2ND
2023-08-07380-57897-1ND
2023-08-07380-57894-1ND
2023-08-07380-57899-1ND
2023-08-09380-58461-1ND
2023-08-09380-58496-1ND
2023-08-10380-58742-1ND
2023-08-10380-58742-2ND
2023-08-10380-58749-1ND
2023-08-10380-58749-2ND
2023-08-10380-58702-1ND
2023-08-10380-58702-2ND
2023-09-05380-61825-3ND
2023-09-23380-64644-1ND
2023-09-23380-64644-1AND
2023-09-26380-64488-1ND
2023-09-26380-64488-2ND
2023-09-26380-64427-1ND
2023-09-26380-64427-2ND
2023-10-03380-65599-4ND
2023-11-14380-71156-1ND
2023-11-14380-71156-2ND
2023-11-14380-71138-1ND
2023-11-20380-72055-1ND
2023-11-20380-72055-2ND
2023-11-20380-72055-3ND
2023-11-20380-72055-4ND