Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Burr Oak

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.

 

49

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND90ND
2022ND120ND
2023ND130ND

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
2018-03-08LLH69426ND
2018-05-30LLH82924ND
2018-08-27LLI01494ND
2018-11-19LLI15976ND
2018-11-19LLI15978ND
2018-11-19LLI15977ND
2019-03-07LLI28317ND
2019-06-27LLI46828ND
2019-07-24LLI52063ND
2019-10-10LLI70511ND
2019-12-27LLI86075ND
2020-01-13ND
2020-04-09ND
2020-07-20ND
2020-10-13ND
2021-01-27ND
2021-06-24ND
2021-06-24ND
2021-06-24ND
2021-09-28ND
2021-09-28ND
2021-10-13ND
2021-10-13ND
2021-10-13ND
2022-01-19ND
2022-01-19ND
2022-01-19ND
2022-06-08ND
2022-06-08ND
2022-06-08ND
2022-09-01ND
2022-09-01ND
2022-09-01ND
2022-10-19ND
2022-10-19ND
2022-10-19ND
2023-03-16ND
2023-03-16ND
2023-03-16ND
2023-05-10ND
2023-05-10ND
2023-05-10ND
2023-09-14ND
2023-09-14ND
2023-09-25ND
2023-09-25ND
2023-10-19ND
2023-10-19ND
2023-10-19ND