Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

St Charles Water District 1 East Bank

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND80ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-01-2335370117001ND
2018-01-2335370117001ND
2019-01-2235444037001ND
2019-01-2235444038001ND
2019-01-2235444037001ND
2019-01-2235444038001ND
2019-09-0535495382002ND
2019-09-0535495382001ND
2019-09-0535495382002ND
2019-09-0535495382001ND
2020-03-0535535509001ND
2020-03-0535535509002ND
2021-01-2835608065001ND
2021-01-2835608065002ND
2021-03-1035618304001ND
2021-03-1035618304002ND
2022-02-0235694868001ND
2022-02-0235694870001ND
2023-03-2035787602001ND
2023-03-2035787604001ND