Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Jonesboro Water System

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
2018ND120ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND10ND
2023N/A00N/A

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
2018-03-0535378990001ND
2018-03-0535378990001ND
2018-08-2035412727001ND
2018-08-2035412727002ND
2018-08-2035412727003ND
2018-08-2035412727004ND
2018-08-2035412727004ND
2018-08-2035412727003ND
2018-08-2035412727001ND
2018-08-2035412727002ND
2018-08-2735414189001ND
2018-08-2735414189001ND
2019-10-2235507148001ND
2019-10-2235507148001ND
2020-09-0835577115001ND
2021-04-0635623965001ND
2021-04-0635623965002ND
2021-04-0635623965003ND
2021-04-0635623965004ND
2021-04-0635623965005ND
2022-11-2835763114001ND