Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Crofton, City of

NOTE: Crofton, City of purchases water from Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project which is required to test for tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene). Sample information shown below was taken by Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project.

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.

 

28

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

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

NOTE: Crofton, City of purchases water from Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project which is required to test for tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene). Sample information shown below was taken by Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-09532167ND
2018-04-09543814ND
2018-07-10561733ND
2018-07-23560148ND
2018-10-10578338ND
2019-01-14590611ND
2019-04-08600529ND
2019-07-08622413ND
2019-07-08621229ND
2019-10-15638237ND
2020-01-13651187ND
2020-04-13666994ND
2020-07-14681444ND
2020-07-20684271ND
2020-10-13701048ND
2021-01-11716861ND
2021-04-12727189ND
2021-07-12746409ND
2021-07-19745879ND
2021-10-12765318ND
2022-01-10780922ND
2022-04-18793736ND
2022-07-11812679ND
2022-10-10830056ND
2023-01-10841318ND
2023-04-10858504ND
2023-07-10874267ND
2023-10-10891306ND