Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Tell City Water Department

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

20

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
2019ND20ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for tetrachloroethylene, 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 tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2019-06-0419008196002RV-1902ND
2019-06-0419008196001RV-1902ND
2020-03-1120003740001RV-2001ND
2020-05-0520006472001RV-2002ND
2020-08-0520011751-001ND
2020-11-1620018757-001-0016ND
2021-02-0921002715-001-0001ND
2021-05-0421008363-001-0005ND
2021-05-1021008766-001-0009ND
2021-08-1621016155-001-0002ND
2021-11-0921022468-001-0007ND
2022-02-0722002390-001-0007ND
2022-05-0422007983-001-0005ND
2022-06-1322010634-001-0003ND
2022-08-0922014974-001-0007ND
2022-11-2122022161-001-0001ND
2023-02-0723002399-001-0003ND
2023-05-1523008845-001-0001ND
2023-08-0823014658-001-0009ND
2023-11-2023021418-001-0004ND