Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Bethel, Town of

NOTE: Bethel, Town of purchases water from Greenville Utilities Comm. which is required to test for dichloromethane (methylene chloride). Sample information shown below was taken by Greenville Utilities Comm..

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND10ND

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

NOTE: Bethel, Town of purchases water from Greenville Utilities Comm. which is required to test for dichloromethane (methylene chloride). Sample information shown below was taken by Greenville Utilities Comm..

Date Lab ID Result
2018-08-2337729_18-35469ND
2018-08-2337729_18-35471ND
2018-08-2337729_18-35472ND
2018-08-2337729_18-35473ND
2018-08-2337729_18-35467ND
2019-08-2237729_19-36231ND
2019-08-2237729_19-36232ND
2019-08-2237729_19-36233ND
2019-08-2237729_19-36234ND
2020-08-2037729_20-36223ND
2020-08-2037729_20-36222ND
2020-08-2037729_20-36221ND
2020-08-2037729_20-36145ND
2021-08-2337729_21-36217ND
2021-08-2337729_21-36218ND
2021-08-2337729_21-36219ND
2021-08-2337729_21-36220ND
2022-08-2337729_22-40410ND
2022-08-2337729_22-40411ND
2022-08-2337729_22-40412ND
2022-08-2337729_22-40413ND
2023-05-2537729_23-26781ND
2023-05-2537729_23-26782ND
2023-05-2537729_23-26783ND
2023-05-2537729_23-26784ND