Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

City of Taneytown

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.

 

38

Samples

4

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

11

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.583 ppb133ND - 5.70 ppb
20191.51 ppb125ND - 6.60 ppb
20201.67 ppb52ND - 5.90 ppb
20210.580 ppb21ND - 1.16 ppb
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND60ND

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 Lab ID Result
2018-03-052300211001ND
2018-03-13E18003311004ND
2018-06-20E18004567001ND
2018-06-2623229470010.680 ppb
2018-07-102325449001ND
2018-07-102325449002ND
2018-08-16E19000551001ND
2018-08-16E19000551004ND
2018-08-16E19000551006ND
2018-08-16E19000551008ND
2018-08-2023338910011.20 ppb
2018-10-24E19001379001ND
2018-11-0623494030015.70 ppb
2019-03-1930227080012.40 ppb
2019-06-0330374340013.00 ppb
2019-06-13E19004289004ND
2019-07-1530457140010.550 ppb
2019-07-1530457120015.60 ppb
2019-07-25E20000354012ND
2019-07-25E20000354008ND
2019-07-25E20000354006ND
2019-07-25E20000354004ND
2019-07-25E20000354001ND
2019-07-25E20000354010ND
2019-11-0530680080016.60 ppb
2020-02-1830873160015.90 ppb
2020-03-03E20002984006ND
2020-09-16E210007510062.45 ppb
2020-09-16E21000751004ND
2020-09-16E21000751001ND
2021-03-15E21002483001ND
2021-03-15E210024830041.16 ppb
2023-03-21E2300223601ND
2023-03-21E2300223701ND
2023-05-23E2300281402ND
2023-05-23E2300281404ND
2023-05-23E2300281406ND
2023-05-23E2300281408ND