Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

Dorchester, Village of

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND60ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-07-16560158ND
2019-04-08604886ND
2019-07-15621241ND
2020-02-10650331ND
2020-05-26667014ND
2020-09-14684285ND
2020-09-28701100ND
2021-07-19745978ND
2022-04-18793083ND
2022-07-05809302ND
2022-07-27818275ND
2023-01-09841941ND
2023-01-17842469ND
2023-04-24855387ND
2023-05-15855924ND
2023-07-17873260ND
2023-10-16891653ND