Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Styrene

Tabor City, Town of

NOTE: Tabor City, Town of purchases water from Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority which is required to test for styrene. Sample information shown below was taken by Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority.

Styrene is a volatile cancer-causing chemical used for manufacturing Styrofoam (polystyrene) and other plastics. Releases from industrial production sites and hazardous waste landfills cause styrene contamination in drinking water. Read More.

In addition to increasing the risk of cancer, styrene can also damage the liver and the nervous system. California set a public health goal for styrene in drinking water at 0.5 parts per billion. The federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) allows up to 100 parts per billion of styrene in water, which is 200 times more than the California recommended level.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND10ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.5 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.5 ppb for styrene 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): 100 ppb

The legal limit for styrene, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1970s. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to styrene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: Tabor City, Town of purchases water from Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority which is required to test for styrene. Sample information shown below was taken by Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-04-11AE10684ND
2019-05-22AE30798ND
2019-05-22AE30796ND
2019-05-22AE30800ND
2019-05-23AE30863ND
2019-05-23AE30864ND
2019-05-23AE30865ND
2019-05-23AE30866ND
2020-04-21AE47476ND
2020-04-21AE47486ND
2020-04-21AE47488ND
2020-04-23AE47627ND
2020-04-23AE47624ND
2020-06-24AE50426ND
2020-06-24AE50427ND
2021-06-16AE67499ND
2022-05-23AE84081ND
2023-04-13AF00227ND
2023-08-03AF06541ND