Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

New Iberia Water System (lAWCO)

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND20ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND70ND
2022ND10ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-10-0235422173002ND
2018-10-0235422173003ND
2018-10-0235422173002ND
2018-10-0235422173003ND
2019-03-2635457123001ND
2019-03-2635457123001ND
2021-05-0335630992002ND
2021-07-2035649661001ND
2021-07-2035649661002ND
2021-07-2035649661003ND
2021-07-2035649661004ND
2021-07-2035649661005ND
2021-10-1835672238004ND
2022-02-1535697808005ND