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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

City of Alexandria Water System

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

166

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016ND620ND
2017ND160ND
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND880ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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) 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2016-05-1035244408001ND
2016-05-1035244408002ND
2016-05-1035244408003ND
2016-05-1035244408004ND
2016-05-1035244408005ND
2016-05-1035244408001ND
2016-05-1035244408002ND
2016-05-1035244408003ND
2016-05-1035244408004ND
2016-05-1035244408005ND
2016-05-1835245776001ND
2016-05-1835245776002ND
2016-05-1835245776001ND
2016-05-1835245776002ND
2016-05-2535246558001ND
2016-05-2535246558002ND
2016-05-2535246558003ND
2016-05-2535246558004ND
2016-05-2535246558005ND
2016-05-2535246558001ND
2016-05-2535246558002ND
2016-05-2535246558003ND
2016-05-2535246558004ND
2016-05-2535246558005ND
2016-06-0635248060001ND
2016-06-0635248060002ND
2016-06-0635248060003ND
2016-06-0635248060004ND
2016-06-0635248060005ND
2016-06-0635248060001ND
2016-06-0635248060002ND
2016-06-0635248060003ND
2016-06-0635248060004ND
2016-06-0635248060005ND
2016-06-1535250015001ND
2016-06-1535250015002ND
2016-06-1535250015003ND
2016-06-1535250015004ND
2016-06-1535250015005ND
2016-06-1535250015001ND
2016-06-1535250015002ND
2016-06-1535250015003ND
2016-06-1535250015004ND
2016-06-1535250015005ND
2016-07-1935255757001ND
2016-07-1935255757002ND
2016-07-1935255757001ND
2016-07-1935255757002ND
2016-09-0735264358003ND
2016-09-0735264358004ND
2016-09-0735264358005ND
2016-09-0735264358003ND
2016-09-0735264358004ND
2016-09-0735264358005ND
2016-10-0535271142005ND
2016-10-0535271142005ND
2016-11-0935276653001ND
2016-11-0935276653002ND
2016-11-0935276653001ND
2016-11-0935276653002ND
2016-12-1435283929004ND
2016-12-1435283929004ND
2017-03-0835299871001ND
2017-03-0835299871002ND
2017-03-0835299871001ND
2017-03-0835299871002ND
2017-03-2735303256008ND
2017-03-2735303256009ND
2017-03-2735303256011ND
2017-03-2735303256008ND
2017-03-2735303256009ND
2017-03-2735303256011ND
2017-10-2435344545006ND
2017-10-2435344545006ND
2017-11-0235345825001ND
2017-11-0235345825002ND
2017-11-0235345825001ND
2017-11-0235345825002ND
2019-01-3035445470001ND
2019-01-3035445470002ND
2019-01-3035445470003ND
2019-01-3035445470004ND
2019-01-3035445470005ND
2019-01-3035445470001ND
2019-01-3035445470002ND
2019-01-3035445470003ND
2019-01-3035445470004ND
2019-01-3035445470005ND
2019-02-0635446987001ND
2019-02-0635446987002ND
2019-02-0635446987003ND
2019-02-0635446987004ND
2019-02-0635446987005ND
2019-02-0635446987001ND
2019-02-0635446987002ND
2019-02-0635446987003ND
2019-02-0635446987004ND
2019-02-0635446987005ND
2019-02-2735451250001ND
2019-02-2735451250002ND
2019-02-2735451250003ND
2019-02-2735451250004ND
2019-02-2735451250005ND
2019-02-2735451250001ND
2019-02-2735451250002ND
2019-02-2735451250003ND
2019-02-2735451250004ND
2019-02-2735451250005ND
2019-03-1335454676001ND
2019-03-1335454676002ND
2019-03-1335454676003ND
2019-03-1335454676004ND
2019-03-1335454676001ND
2019-03-1335454676002ND
2019-03-1335454676003ND
2019-03-1335454676004ND
2019-03-2035456260001ND
2019-03-2035456260002ND
2019-03-2035456260003ND
2019-03-2035456260004ND
2019-03-2035456260005ND
2019-03-2035456260001ND
2019-03-2035456260002ND
2019-03-2035456260003ND
2019-03-2035456260004ND
2019-03-2035456260005ND
2019-03-2735457693001ND
2019-03-2735457693002ND
2019-03-2735457693003ND
2019-03-2735457693004ND
2019-03-2735457693001ND
2019-03-2735457693002ND
2019-03-2735457693003ND
2019-03-2735457693004ND
2019-04-1035461050001ND
2019-04-1035461050002ND
2019-04-1035461050003ND
2019-04-1035461050005ND
2019-04-1035461050001ND
2019-04-1035461050002ND
2019-04-1035461050003ND
2019-04-1035461050005ND
2019-06-0635473878001ND
2019-06-0635473878002ND
2019-06-0635473878003ND
2019-06-0635473878001ND
2019-06-0635473878002ND
2019-06-0635473878003ND
2019-07-2535485311001ND
2019-07-2535485311001ND
2019-09-1135497727001ND
2019-09-1135497727002ND
2019-09-1135497727003ND
2019-09-1135497727001ND
2019-09-1135497727002ND
2019-09-1135497727003ND
2019-12-0435516733001ND
2019-12-0435516733002ND
2019-12-0435516733003ND
2019-12-0435516733004ND
2019-12-0435516733005ND
2019-12-0435516733001ND
2019-12-0435516733002ND
2019-12-0435516733003ND
2019-12-0435516733004ND
2019-12-0435516733005ND