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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chloroform

Bellingham Dpw Water Sewer Div.

Chloroform, one of the total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Chloroform and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Read More.

In addition to tap water disinfection, chloroform pollution in the environment also comes from industrial discharges from pulp and paper mills, and from urban wastewater effluent. Human studies show that chloroform damages the kidneys, liver and central nervous system. In animals, chloroform causes infertility, birth defects and cancer.

Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

118

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

89

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
20141.26 ppb126ND - 8.40 ppb
201519.8 ppb2923ND - 64.0 ppb
201629.3 ppb16162.90 ppb - 46.0 ppb
201715.7 ppb158ND - 50.0 ppb
201816.9 ppb1916ND - 48.0 ppb
201917.5 ppb2720ND - 72.5 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.4 ppb for chloroform was proposed in 2018 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Result
2014-05-19ND
2014-05-192.70 ppb
2014-05-198.40 ppb
2014-05-190.540 ppb
2014-05-19ND
2014-05-19ND
2014-05-21ND
2014-05-211.20 ppb
2014-06-160.560 ppb
2014-06-16ND
2014-06-161.70 ppb
2014-06-16ND
2015-02-1712.0 ppb
2015-02-173.20 ppb
2015-02-1727.0 ppb
2015-02-1719.0 ppb
2015-05-1841.0 ppb
2015-05-1835.0 ppb
2015-05-1843.0 ppb
2015-05-1841.0 ppb
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-1516.0 ppb
2015-06-150.560 ppb
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-154.00 ppb
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-15ND
2015-06-293.40 ppb
2015-06-290.690 ppb
2015-06-291.30 ppb
2015-08-1764.0 ppb
2015-08-1763.0 ppb
2015-08-1763.0 ppb
2015-08-1764.0 ppb
2015-08-171.40 ppb
2015-11-1613.0 ppb
2015-11-1614.0 ppb
2015-11-1611.0 ppb
2015-11-1633.0 ppb
2016-02-1737.0 ppb
2016-02-1742.0 ppb
2016-02-1746.0 ppb
2016-02-1741.0 ppb
2016-05-1633.0 ppb
2016-05-1639.0 ppb
2016-05-1630.0 ppb
2016-05-1642.0 ppb
2016-05-1614.0 ppb
2016-05-162.90 ppb
2016-05-163.10 ppb
2016-05-165.70 ppb
2016-08-1539.0 ppb
2016-08-1513.0 ppb
2016-08-1540.0 ppb
2016-08-1541.0 ppb
2017-02-1442.0 ppb
2017-02-1447.0 ppb
2017-02-1450.0 ppb
2017-02-1446.0 ppb
2017-05-1514.7 ppb
2017-05-150.520 ppb
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-154.66 ppb
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-15ND
2017-05-1530.1 ppb
2017-09-18ND
2018-05-2214.0 ppb
2018-05-3142.0 ppb
2018-05-3110.00 ppb
2018-05-3128.0 ppb
2018-05-3110.00 ppb
2018-05-31ND
2018-05-31ND
2018-06-040.930 ppb
2018-08-2948.0 ppb
2018-08-299.20 ppb
2018-08-2945.0 ppb
2018-08-2928.0 ppb
2018-09-170.610 ppb
2018-11-1922.0 ppb
2018-11-1915.0 ppb
2018-11-1926.0 ppb
2018-11-1921.0 ppb
2018-12-171.39 ppb
2018-12-17ND
2019-02-1913.0 ppb
2019-02-199.70 ppb
2019-02-1920.0 ppb
2019-02-199.20 ppb
2019-03-111.70 ppb
2019-04-2634.4 ppb
2019-04-261.88 ppb
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-262.99 ppb
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-26ND
2019-04-26ND
2019-05-2128.2 ppb
2019-05-2116.6 ppb
2019-05-2137.1 ppb
2019-05-2118.7 ppb
2019-08-2056.3 ppb
2019-08-2016.0 ppb
2019-08-2058.8 ppb
2019-08-2072.5 ppb
2019-11-1913.3 ppb
2019-11-199.62 ppb
2019-11-1942.1 ppb
2019-11-1911.3 ppb