Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Yadkinville, Town of

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

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
2018ND50ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND110ND
20220.157 ppb72ND - 0.600 ppb
2023ND60ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene chloride) 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 dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-0892372538001VOCND
2018-04-0592379790004VOCND
2018-05-3192386687001VOCND
2018-08-2392396902001VOCND
2018-11-0892406563001VOCND
2019-05-3092431146001_12710ND
2019-08-2292442598001_12710ND
2019-10-1092449202001_12710ND
2020-02-2792467096001_12710ND
2020-06-0492480494001_12710ND
2020-08-1892491332001_12710ND
2020-11-1792506645001A_12710ND
2020-11-1792506645002_12710ND
2020-11-1792506645002A_12710ND
2020-11-1792506645001_12710ND
2021-02-1192521779001_12710ND
2021-03-1192527294001_12710ND
2021-05-2792541146001_12710ND
2021-05-2792541146002_12710ND
2021-08-1892556587001_12710ND
2021-08-1892556587002_12710ND
2021-09-0192559299001_12710ND
2021-09-0192559299002_12710ND
2021-10-0792565459001_12710ND
2021-12-0892577072001_12710ND
2021-12-0992577072002_12710ND
2022-02-2392590106001_12710ND
2022-02-2492590106002_12710ND
2022-08-0492618638001_12710ND
2022-09-072092964-010.600 ppb
2022-09-072092964-020.500 ppb
2022-10-052103511-01ND
2022-10-242111860-01ND
2023-01-023013256-01ND
2023-01-053013426-01ND
2023-04-0592660667001_12710ND
2023-07-0692676043003_12710ND
2023-10-0592691709001_12710ND
2023-10-0592691709002_12710ND