Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Barton Dade Cedar & Jasper Counties Consolidated Public Water Supply District 1

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.

 

30

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
2019ND130ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND90ND
2023ND20ND

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
2019-05-20AD47670ND
2019-05-20AD47671ND
2019-05-20AD47672ND
2019-05-20AD47673ND
2019-05-20AD47674ND
2019-05-20AD47675ND
2019-05-20AD47676ND
2019-05-20AD47677ND
2019-05-20AD47669ND
2019-07-15AD53004ND
2019-07-15AD53005ND
2019-10-21AD57423ND
2019-10-21AD57424ND
2020-01-20AD60734ND
2020-01-20AD60735ND
2020-05-262009164ND
2020-05-262009163ND
2021-04-132104041ND
2021-04-132104042ND
2022-04-202204750ND
2022-04-202204751ND
2022-05-172211804ND
2022-05-172211805ND
2022-05-172211810ND
2022-05-172211809ND
2022-05-172211808ND
2022-05-172211807ND
2022-05-172211806ND
2023-04-172303746ND
2023-04-172303745ND