Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Water Works District #1 of Vermilion

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.

 

15

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019ND20ND
2020ND60ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND10ND
2023ND60ND

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
2019-06-1035474976001ND
2019-06-1035474976001ND
2020-06-1035556215001ND
2020-06-1035556215002ND
2020-06-1035556215003ND
2020-06-1035556215004ND
2020-10-0535583034001ND
2020-10-0535583034002ND
2022-07-2535735487001ND
2023-03-2735788777001ND
2023-03-2735788777002ND
2023-03-2735788779001ND
2023-03-2735788779002ND
2023-07-1035812353001ND
2023-07-1035812353002ND