Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Waysons Mobile Court

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND80ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene chloride) 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 dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2020-01-29E20002533008ND
2020-01-29E20002533006ND
2020-04-28E20003450001ND
2020-04-28E20003451001ND
2020-07-21E21000205001ND
2020-07-21E21000205004ND
2020-10-28E21001188006ND
2020-10-28E21001188008ND
2021-02-16E21002129004ND
2021-02-16E21002129001ND
2021-04-12E21002853001ND
2021-04-12E21002853004ND
2021-08-30E22000728001ND
2021-08-30E22000728004ND
2022-02-010020223_01_02022225ND
2022-02-010020223_02_020222128ND
2023-07-06E2400002501ND
2023-07-06E2400002601ND