Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,4-Dioxane

Medway Water and Sewer Department

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.

Click here to read more about 1,4-dioxane.

 

44

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20130.0863 ppb83ND - 0.402 ppb
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
20180.188 ppb12120.1000 ppb - 0.350 ppb
20190.138 ppb12120.1000 ppb - 0.170 ppb
20200.115 ppb43ND - 0.200 ppb
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2013-03-25ND
2013-03-25ND
2013-03-250.402 ppb
2013-03-25ND
2013-09-16ND
2013-09-160.190 ppb
2013-09-160.0980 ppb
2013-09-16ND
2018-03-070.190 ppb
2018-03-070.190 ppb
2018-03-070.190 ppb
2018-06-250.350 ppb
2018-06-250.350 ppb
2018-06-250.350 ppb
2018-08-070.110 ppb
2018-08-070.110 ppb
2018-08-070.110 ppb
2018-11-050.1000 ppb
2018-11-050.1000 ppb
2018-11-050.1000 ppb
2019-02-120.130 ppb
2019-02-120.130 ppb
2019-02-120.130 ppb
2019-05-070.150 ppb
2019-05-070.150 ppb
2019-05-070.150 ppb
2019-08-120.170 ppb
2019-08-120.170 ppb
2019-08-120.170 ppb
2019-11-120.1000 ppb
2019-11-120.1000 ppb
2019-11-120.1000 ppb
2020-03-180.200 ppb
2020-06-160.120 ppb
2020-08-120.140 ppb
2020-12-01ND
2021-02-18ND
2021-04-27ND
2021-08-11ND
2021-10-25ND
2022-01-05ND
2022-04-20ND
2022-08-18ND
2022-10-27ND