Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Pratt, City of

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

21

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
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND100ND
2021ND10ND
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND100ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2020-08-041472561ND
2020-08-041472572ND
2020-08-041472571ND
2020-08-041472570ND
2020-08-041472569ND
2020-08-041472567ND
2020-08-041472566ND
2020-08-041472565ND
2020-08-041472562ND
2020-08-041472564ND
2021-04-131817297ND
2023-08-092555388ND
2023-08-092555387ND
2023-08-092555386ND
2023-08-092555385ND
2023-08-092555384ND
2023-08-092555383ND
2023-08-092555382ND
2023-08-092555381ND
2023-09-132575317ND
2023-10-102589869ND