Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Claflin, City of

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

31

Samples

3

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

11

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.640 ppb53ND - 1.10 ppb
20190.350 ppb61ND - 2.10 ppb
20200.148 ppb51ND - 0.740 ppb
20211.01 ppb63ND - 3.40 ppb
20225.60 ppb53ND - 13.0 ppb
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-26906998ND
2018-02-26906999ND
2018-10-2110648291.10 ppb
2018-10-2110648301.10 ppb
2018-10-2110648311.000 ppb
2019-02-251126128ND
2019-02-251126129ND
2019-02-2511261302.10 ppb
2019-04-151138049ND
2019-07-161205463ND
2019-10-151259661ND
2020-01-2713146700.740 ppb
2020-02-251330198ND
2020-02-251330199ND
2020-04-141357229ND
2020-07-141441598ND
2021-02-2317783362.10 ppb
2021-02-2317783370.550 ppb
2021-03-161796813ND
2021-08-171920544ND
2021-09-211964204ND
2021-11-1620277443.40 ppb
2022-02-1521948288.10 ppb
2022-05-2422641356.90 ppb
2022-08-30234600013.0 ppb
2022-09-202362177ND
2022-11-292404795ND
2023-02-272455978ND
2023-05-242506133ND
2023-08-302566144ND
2023-11-282615995ND