Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Scottville, City of

NOTE: Scottville, City of purchases water from Ludington, City of which is required to test for tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene). Sample information shown below was taken by Ludington, City of.

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.

 

28

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND90ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

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

NOTE: Scottville, City of purchases water from Ludington, City of which is required to test for tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene). Sample information shown below was taken by Ludington, City of.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-12LLH65385ND
2018-05-15LLH80829ND
2018-08-07LLH97644ND
2018-11-13LLI15460ND
2018-11-29LLI17188ND
2019-02-13LLI25478ND
2019-05-08LLI37075ND
2019-08-07LLI55024ND
2019-09-04LLI61615ND
2019-11-06LLI75691ND
2020-02-04ND
2020-05-06ND
2020-05-06ND
2020-08-03ND
2020-11-03ND
2021-02-02ND
2021-05-04ND
2021-08-03ND
2021-11-01ND
2021-11-16ND
2022-02-01ND
2022-05-02ND
2022-08-01ND
2022-11-07ND
2023-02-06ND
2023-05-01ND
2023-08-02ND
2023-11-06ND