Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Port Sulphur Water District

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.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-01-3035371297001ND
2018-01-3035371297001ND
2019-02-0535446733001ND
2019-02-0535446733001ND
2019-05-3035472024001ND
2019-05-3035472024001ND
2020-03-1035536681001ND
2020-03-1835538502001ND
2020-11-1835593410001ND
2021-03-0135615732001ND
2021-03-0135615734001ND
2021-09-1335663084001ND
2021-10-2635673864001ND
2022-01-1335690764001ND
2023-02-0135777177001ND
2023-10-0335831861001ND
2023-10-0535832714001ND
2023-10-1135834155001ND