Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

Hoxie, City of

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND50ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND70ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-08904982ND
2018-01-08904983ND
2018-01-08904984ND
2018-01-08904985ND
2020-09-141518023ND
2020-09-141518026ND
2020-09-141518027ND
2020-09-141518029ND
2020-09-141518030ND
2023-10-022586674ND
2023-10-022586676ND
2023-10-022586678ND
2023-10-162596101ND
2023-10-162596102ND
2023-12-192629196ND
2023-12-192629197ND