Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Littleton Water Department

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

68

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

6

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0800 ppb101ND - 0.800 ppb
20190.0790 ppb101ND - 0.790 ppb
2020ND100ND
2021ND120ND
20220.0667 ppb121ND - 0.800 ppb
20230.0971 ppb143ND - 0.900 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Result
2018-04-11ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-07ND
2018-05-07ND
2018-05-29ND
2018-05-290.800 ppb
2018-05-29ND
2018-06-19ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-30ND
2019-06-05ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-060.790 ppb
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-17ND
2020-05-14ND
2020-05-14ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-06-16ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-12ND
2021-04-14ND
2021-04-14ND
2021-04-14ND
2021-06-09ND
2021-07-26ND
2021-10-21ND
2022-02-16ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-06-08ND
2022-06-08ND
2022-06-080.800 ppb
2023-05-25ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-220.280 ppb
2023-06-220.900 ppb
2023-06-220.180 ppb
2023-07-20ND
2023-10-04ND