Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Farmerville 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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND140ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND110ND
2022N/A00N/A
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
2018-04-2535388787005ND
2018-04-2535388787001ND
2018-04-2535388787002ND
2018-04-2535388787003ND
2018-04-2535388787004ND
2018-04-2535388787005ND
2018-04-2535388787004ND
2018-04-2535388787003ND
2018-04-2535388787001ND
2018-04-2535388787002ND
2018-05-1535392914002ND
2018-05-1535392914002ND
2018-05-1535392914001ND
2018-05-1535392914001ND
2021-05-1935634912001ND
2021-05-1935634912002ND
2021-05-1935634912003ND
2021-05-2035635259001ND
2021-05-2035635259002ND
2021-05-2035635259003ND
2021-05-2035635259004ND
2021-07-0735648183001ND
2021-07-0735648183002ND
2021-07-0735648183003ND
2021-07-0735648183004ND