1,4-Dioxane
Leicester Water Supply District
1,4-Dioxane is a solvent classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen. It contaminates groundwater in many states due to industrial wastewater discharges, plastic manufacturing runoff and landfill runoff. Read More.
Animal studies show that 1,4-dioxane can target the liver, kidneys and respiratory system, and that prenatal exposure can harm the developing fetus. The State of California has set a Public Heatlh Goal of no more than 1 part per billion of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. The state of Massachusetts sets a legal limit of 0.3 ppb, and New Hampshire's limit is 3 parts per billion. There is no national drinking water standard for this contaminant.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.0398 ppb | 18 | 18 | 0.0370 ppb - 0.0420 ppb |
| 2015 | 0.0220 ppb | 21 | 9 | ND - 0.0570 ppb |
| 2016 | 0.0108 ppb | 18 | 3 | ND - 0.0650 ppb |
| 2017 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
ppb = parts per billion
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 ppb for 1,4-dioxane was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency 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 |
|---|---|
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-03-31 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-04-04 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-04-04 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-04-04 | 0.0400 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0420 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0380 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0380 ppb |
| 2014-08-15 | 0.0380 ppb |
| 2014-10-15 | 0.0370 ppb |
| 2014-10-15 | 0.0370 ppb |
| 2014-10-15 | 0.0370 ppb |
| 2015-01-23 | 0.0440 ppb |
| 2015-01-23 | 0.0440 ppb |
| 2015-01-23 | 0.0440 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0570 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0530 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0530 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0530 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0570 ppb |
| 2015-02-10 | 0.0570 ppb |
| 2015-04-28 | ND |
| 2015-04-28 | ND |
| 2015-04-28 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-09-29 | ND |
| 2015-12-18 | ND |
| 2015-12-18 | ND |
| 2015-12-18 | ND |
| 2016-03-07 | ND |
| 2016-03-07 | ND |
| 2016-03-07 | ND |
| 2016-03-07 | 0.0650 ppb |
| 2016-03-07 | 0.0650 ppb |
| 2016-03-07 | 0.0650 ppb |
| 2016-06-27 | ND |
| 2016-06-27 | ND |
| 2016-06-27 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-09-20 | ND |
| 2016-12-22 | ND |
| 2016-12-22 | ND |
| 2016-12-22 | ND |