Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Sugar Mountain Utility

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.

 

39

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
2020ND190ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND10ND
2023ND190ND

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
2020-02-117041-021120-OOXVND
2020-02-117041-021120-OOVVND
2020-02-117041A-021120-OOXVND
2020-02-117041A-021120-OOVVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OGHVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OPQVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOTVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOSVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OORVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OONVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOIVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOFVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOEVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOBVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OOAVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OLMVND
2020-10-287041-102820-OJKVND
2020-12-097041-120920-OOCVND
2020-12-097041-120920-OODVND
2022-03-157041-031522-OOWVND
2023-03-01752-3748-3ND
2023-03-01752-3748-1ND
2023-08-30752-11120-1ND
2023-10-17752-12705-21ND
2023-10-17752-12705-9ND
2023-10-17752-12705-7ND
2023-10-17752-12705-5ND
2023-10-17752-12705-3ND
2023-10-17752-12705-29ND
2023-10-17752-12705-27ND
2023-10-17752-12705-25ND
2023-10-17752-12705-23ND
2023-10-17752-12705-19ND
2023-10-17752-12705-17ND
2023-10-17752-12705-15ND
2023-10-17752-12705-13ND
2023-10-17752-12705-11ND
2023-10-17752-12705-1ND
2023-12-13752-14694-1ND