Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Richardson County Rural Water District 2

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

38

Samples

1

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

3

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20181.02 ppb21ND - 2.03 ppb
2019ND40ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND80ND
20220.390 ppb82ND - 1.57 ppb
2023ND80ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, established in 1987, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-17571937ND
2018-09-175719362.03 ppb
2019-09-03630425ND
2019-09-03630424ND
2019-12-02646925ND
2019-12-02646926ND
2020-03-02659230ND
2020-03-02659229ND
2020-06-01672133ND
2020-06-01672132ND
2020-09-08689827ND
2020-09-08689826ND
2020-12-21712550ND
2020-12-21712551ND
2021-03-01721934ND
2021-03-01721933ND
2021-06-07736641ND
2021-06-07736640ND
2021-09-07757673ND
2021-09-07757672ND
2021-12-06773059ND
2021-12-06773058ND
2022-03-07783077ND
2022-03-07783076ND
2022-06-07804076ND
2022-06-07804077ND
2022-09-068229981.57 ppb
2022-09-068229991.55 ppb
2022-12-05835786ND
2022-12-05835785ND
2023-03-06851383ND
2023-03-06851382ND
2023-06-05864101ND
2023-06-05864100ND
2023-09-05879902ND
2023-09-05879903ND
2023-12-04891486ND
2023-12-04891487ND