Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Woodbury City Water Department

NOTE: Woodbury City Water Department purchases water from NJ American Water - Western which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by NJ American Water - Western.

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.

 

67

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND90ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND70ND
2022ND90ND
2023ND40ND

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

NOTE: Woodbury City Water Department purchases water from NJ American Water - Western which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by NJ American Water - Western.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-3038457801ND
2018-03-0238460101ND
2018-03-1239249001ND
2018-04-1738070101ND
2018-04-3039285601ND
2018-07-0640458701ND
2018-07-0640460801ND
2018-10-1241622001ND
2018-10-1941624001ND
2019-01-0742646601ND
2019-01-3042649801ND
2019-04-1243709301ND
2019-07-0345209201ND
2019-10-2846945101ND
2019-12-0547756801ND
2020-01-0848071201ND
2020-01-1448070901ND
2020-01-1548071801ND
2020-02-0448843101ND
2020-02-0648071701ND
2020-02-0748578401ND
2020-03-0648923701ND
2020-03-0648923801ND
2020-04-0349530901ND
2020-06-1250012901ND
2020-06-1950013401ND
2020-06-1950013301ND
2020-07-1050728101ND
2020-07-1750013201ND
2020-10-0952212401ND
2021-01-0653087701ND
2021-01-2153087601ND
2021-04-0954063101ND
2021-06-2354808401ND
2021-07-1955496401ND
2021-10-0856487401ND
2021-10-2256490001ND
2022-01-0557301201ND
2022-01-0757303501ND
2022-01-1157301001ND
2022-04-1458324201ND
2022-04-2258867301ND
2022-07-1559561401ND
2022-07-2960132901ND
2022-10-0760561501ND
2022-10-0760561301ND
2023-01-0461651201ND
2023-01-0661653301ND
2023-01-0661651101ND
2023-02-1561969401ND
2023-03-1062384501ND
2023-03-1062384701ND
2023-04-2862901001ND
2023-04-2862901301ND
2023-05-0462905101ND
2023-05-0562900901ND
2023-06-1363786801ND
2023-06-1963799401ND
2023-06-1963787201ND
2023-06-2267060701ND
2023-07-0766872001ND
2023-08-1161651401ND
2023-09-0766871601ND
2023-09-1968247401ND
2023-10-0668039701ND
2023-10-1268038601ND
2023-10-2368035801ND