Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of Rexburg

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.

 

33

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND90ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND130ND

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
2018-06-29VB18070188001ND
2018-08-01V1813281ND
2019-01-08V1851921ND
2020-06-29VB20070003001ND
2020-06-29VB20062582001ND
2020-06-29VB20062582002ND
2020-06-29VB20062582003ND
2020-06-29VB20062582004ND
2020-06-29VB20062582005ND
2020-06-29VB20062582006ND
2020-11-30VB20120066001ND
2020-11-30VB20120071001ND
2021-01-25VB21011641001ND
2021-01-25VB21011645001ND
2021-04-26VB21041974001ND
2021-04-26VB21041931001ND
2021-07-28VB21072453001ND
2021-07-28VB21072453002ND
2022-06-27VB22062447005ND
2022-06-27VB22062447006ND
2023-06-14VMDF068709ND
2023-06-14VMDF068708ND
2023-06-14VMDF068706ND
2023-06-14VMDF068705ND
2023-06-14VMDF068702ND
2023-09-11VMDI035501ND
2023-09-11VMDI035901ND
2023-09-11VMDI034801ND
2023-09-11VMDI035401ND
2023-10-30VMDJ094501ND
2023-10-30VMDJ094504ND
2023-10-30VMDJ094502ND
2023-10-30VMDJ094505ND