1,4-Dioxane

Burlington Water 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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

198

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	ND	3	0	ND
2015	0.258 ppb	57	55	ND - 0.820 ppb
2016	0.165 ppb	33	33	0.130 ppb - 0.230 ppb
2017	0.134 ppb	33	33	0.0740 ppb - 0.180 ppb
2018	0.149 ppb	27	27	0.110 ppb - 0.220 ppb
2019	0.147 ppb	45	45	0.130 ppb - 0.170 ppb

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
2014-09-24	ND
2014-09-24	ND
2014-12-08	ND
2015-01-14	0.250 ppb
2015-01-14	0.250 ppb
2015-01-14	0.250 ppb
2015-01-29	0.170 ppb
2015-01-29	0.170 ppb
2015-01-29	0.170 ppb
2015-02-12	0.160 ppb
2015-02-12	0.160 ppb
2015-02-12	0.160 ppb
2015-03-13	0.180 ppb
2015-03-13	0.180 ppb
2015-03-13	0.180 ppb
2015-03-19	0.170 ppb
2015-03-19	ND
2015-04-23	0.140 ppb
2015-04-23	0.140 ppb
2015-04-23	0.140 ppb
2015-05-06	0.200 ppb
2015-05-06	0.200 ppb
2015-05-06	0.200 ppb
2015-06-04	0.190 ppb
2015-06-04	0.190 ppb
2015-06-04	0.190 ppb
2015-06-18	ND
2015-07-15	0.170 ppb
2015-07-15	0.170 ppb
2015-07-15	0.170 ppb
2015-08-14	0.170 ppb
2015-08-14	0.170 ppb
2015-08-14	0.170 ppb
2015-08-27	0.420 ppb
2015-08-27	0.420 ppb
2015-08-27	0.420 ppb
2015-08-27	0.820 ppb
2015-08-27	0.820 ppb
2015-08-27	0.820 ppb
2015-09-03	0.280 ppb
2015-09-03	0.280 ppb
2015-09-03	0.280 ppb
2015-09-08	0.300 ppb
2015-09-08	0.300 ppb
2015-09-08	0.300 ppb
2015-09-08	0.750 ppb
2015-09-08	0.750 ppb
2015-09-08	0.750 ppb
2015-09-17	0.190 ppb
2015-09-17	0.190 ppb
2015-09-17	0.190 ppb
2015-10-15	0.1000 ppb
2015-10-15	0.1000 ppb
2015-10-15	0.1000 ppb
2015-11-12	0.170 ppb
2015-11-12	0.170 ppb
2015-11-12	0.170 ppb
2015-12-10	0.180 ppb
2015-12-10	0.180 ppb
2015-12-10	0.180 ppb
2016-01-11	0.200 ppb
2016-01-11	0.200 ppb
2016-01-11	0.200 ppb
2016-02-19	0.140 ppb
2016-02-19	0.140 ppb
2016-02-19	0.140 ppb
2016-03-14	0.160 ppb
2016-03-14	0.160 ppb
2016-03-14	0.160 ppb
2016-05-20	0.130 ppb
2016-05-20	0.130 ppb
2016-05-20	0.130 ppb
2016-06-29	0.230 ppb
2016-06-29	0.230 ppb
2016-06-29	0.230 ppb
2016-07-14	0.160 ppb
2016-07-14	0.160 ppb
2016-07-14	0.160 ppb
2016-08-01	0.190 ppb
2016-08-01	0.190 ppb
2016-08-01	0.190 ppb
2016-09-14	0.140 ppb
2016-09-14	0.140 ppb
2016-09-14	0.140 ppb
2016-10-17	0.170 ppb
2016-10-17	0.170 ppb
2016-10-17	0.170 ppb
2016-11-22	0.150 ppb
2016-11-22	0.150 ppb
2016-11-22	0.150 ppb
2016-12-08	0.150 ppb
2016-12-08	0.150 ppb
2016-12-08	0.150 ppb
2017-01-11	0.150 ppb
2017-01-11	0.150 ppb
2017-01-11	0.150 ppb
2017-02-22	0.140 ppb
2017-02-22	0.140 ppb
2017-02-22	0.140 ppb
2017-03-20	0.140 ppb
2017-03-20	0.140 ppb
2017-03-20	0.140 ppb
2017-04-05	0.150 ppb
2017-04-05	0.150 ppb
2017-04-05	0.150 ppb
2017-06-15	0.0740 ppb
2017-06-15	0.0740 ppb
2017-06-15	0.0740 ppb
2017-07-17	0.140 ppb
2017-07-17	0.140 ppb
2017-07-17	0.140 ppb
2017-08-17	0.180 ppb
2017-08-17	0.180 ppb
2017-08-17	0.180 ppb
2017-09-25	0.160 ppb
2017-09-25	0.160 ppb
2017-09-25	0.160 ppb
2017-10-25	0.120 ppb
2017-10-25	0.120 ppb
2017-10-25	0.120 ppb
2017-11-21	0.110 ppb
2017-11-21	0.110 ppb
2017-11-21	0.110 ppb
2017-12-15	0.110 ppb
2017-12-15	0.110 ppb
2017-12-15	0.110 ppb
2018-04-27	0.170 ppb
2018-04-27	0.170 ppb
2018-04-27	0.170 ppb
2018-05-25	0.140 ppb
2018-05-25	0.140 ppb
2018-05-25	0.140 ppb
2018-06-15	0.220 ppb
2018-06-15	0.220 ppb
2018-06-15	0.220 ppb
2018-07-23	0.110 ppb
2018-07-23	0.110 ppb
2018-07-23	0.110 ppb
2018-08-23	0.140 ppb
2018-08-23	0.140 ppb
2018-08-23	0.140 ppb
2018-09-21	0.180 ppb
2018-09-21	0.180 ppb
2018-09-21	0.180 ppb
2018-10-19	0.110 ppb
2018-10-19	0.110 ppb
2018-10-19	0.110 ppb
2018-11-16	0.150 ppb
2018-11-16	0.150 ppb
2018-11-16	0.150 ppb
2018-12-07	0.120 ppb
2018-12-07	0.120 ppb
2018-12-07	0.120 ppb
2019-01-10	0.160 ppb
2019-01-10	0.160 ppb
2019-01-10	0.160 ppb
2019-02-07	0.160 ppb
2019-02-07	0.160 ppb
2019-02-07	0.160 ppb
2019-03-29	0.160 ppb
2019-03-29	0.160 ppb
2019-03-29	0.160 ppb
2019-04-11	0.140 ppb
2019-04-11	0.140 ppb
2019-04-11	0.140 ppb
2019-05-16	0.140 ppb
2019-05-16	0.140 ppb
2019-05-16	0.140 ppb
2019-06-17	0.140 ppb
2019-06-17	0.140 ppb
2019-06-17	0.140 ppb
2019-07-05	0.130 ppb
2019-07-05	0.130 ppb
2019-07-05	0.130 ppb
2019-07-05	0.160 ppb
2019-07-05	0.160 ppb
2019-07-05	0.160 ppb
2019-08-23	0.140 ppb
2019-08-23	0.140 ppb
2019-08-23	0.140 ppb
2019-08-23	0.150 ppb
2019-08-23	0.150 ppb
2019-08-23	0.150 ppb
2019-09-06	0.140 ppb
2019-09-06	0.140 ppb
2019-09-06	0.140 ppb
2019-09-06	0.170 ppb
2019-09-06	0.170 ppb
2019-09-06	0.170 ppb
2019-10-04	0.130 ppb
2019-10-04	0.130 ppb
2019-10-04	0.130 ppb
2019-11-13	0.130 ppb
2019-11-13	0.130 ppb
2019-11-13	0.130 ppb
2019-12-23	0.160 ppb
2019-12-23	0.160 ppb
2019-12-23	0.160 ppb