Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of Chubbuck

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.

 

55

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND100ND
2019ND130ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND80ND

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
2018-02-14VI80208701ND
2018-02-21VI80212801ND
2018-04-24VI80420901ND
2018-04-24VI80420902ND
2018-04-24VI80420903ND
2018-04-24VI80420904ND
2018-07-31VI80740201ND
2018-07-31VI80740202ND
2018-11-07VI81105202ND
2018-11-07VI81105201ND
2019-01-08VI90104601ND
2019-01-16VI90110901ND
2019-03-28VI90320301ND
2019-03-28VI90320401ND
2019-04-10VI90408601ND
2019-05-14VI90512301ND
2019-06-04VI90604901ND
2019-06-11VI90615301ND
2019-07-10VI90712501ND
2019-08-14VI90819101ND
2019-09-04VI90903501ND
2019-10-31VI91031701ND
2019-11-05VI91102401ND
2020-01-21VI00110701ND
2020-02-05VI00202601ND
2020-03-18VI00315701ND
2020-05-04VI00500701ND
2020-06-10VI00617201ND
2020-06-10VI00617202ND
2020-07-29VI00734401ND
2020-10-12VI01013201ND
2021-01-12VI10105901ND
2021-02-23VI10214702ND
2021-02-23VI10214701ND
2021-03-16VI10311101ND
2021-04-20VI10416301ND
2021-08-16VI10818201ND
2021-08-16VI10818202ND
2021-11-02VI11102001ND
2022-01-11VI20107401ND
2022-04-20VI20419001ND
2022-05-16VI20515801ND
2022-07-11VI20710901ND
2022-07-20VI20731701ND
2022-07-27VI20740701ND
2022-08-03VI20805701ND
2022-10-19VI21019301ND
2023-02-22VI30216201ND
2023-05-03VI30504501ND
2023-06-21VI30635501ND
2023-06-21VI30635502ND
2023-07-18VI30723401ND
2023-08-07VI30809601ND
2023-08-07VI30809602ND
2023-10-02VI31001401ND