Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Water Works District #1 of Vermilion

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.

 

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: 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
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