Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

West Point, City of

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND80ND

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
2018-01-16530842ND
2018-09-24571941ND
2018-09-24571940ND
2019-01-14592531ND
2019-09-03630428ND
2019-09-03630429ND
2020-02-10650614ND
2020-09-14689975ND
2020-09-14689974ND
2021-01-19713005ND
2021-09-21764409ND
2021-09-21764408ND
2022-01-18778908ND
2022-09-12822877ND
2022-09-12822878ND
2022-12-05835790ND
2022-12-05835789ND
2023-03-06851386ND
2023-03-06851387ND
2023-06-19864105ND
2023-06-19864104ND
2023-09-06879906ND
2023-09-06879907ND
2023-12-05891492ND
2023-12-05891491ND