Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

City of Bogalusa 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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND50ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND20ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-04-0435384487001ND
2018-04-0435384487002ND
2018-04-0435384487001ND
2018-04-0435384487002ND
2019-07-1635483080002ND
2019-07-1635483080001ND
2019-07-1635483080002ND
2019-07-1635483080001ND
2020-07-2135565361003ND
2020-07-2135565361005ND
2020-07-2135565361004ND
2020-07-2135565361002ND
2020-07-2135565361001ND
2022-09-1235747173001ND
2022-09-1435747176001ND
2023-08-0735819735001ND
2023-08-0735819735002ND
2023-08-0735819735003ND
2023-12-1135847875001ND
2023-12-1135847875002ND