Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

NJ American Water - Frenchtown

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

34

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND90ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-1238419201ND
2018-02-0638710701ND
2018-02-0638791801ND
2018-04-0539255601ND
2018-04-0539255201ND
2018-07-0340422701ND
2018-07-0340422301ND
2018-10-0541594601ND
2018-10-0541594301ND
2019-01-0442615201ND
2019-01-0442614901ND
2019-04-0843680101ND
2019-04-0843680001ND
2019-07-0945175701ND
2019-10-0446921701ND
2020-01-1048044201ND
2020-01-1048043801ND
2020-04-0649504101ND
2020-07-0950699701ND
2020-11-1852186501ND
2021-01-1153065201ND
2021-03-0953779401ND
2021-03-0953779301ND
2021-04-0854036801ND
2021-07-2055468701ND
2021-10-0956465401ND
2022-01-0757278101ND
2022-04-0758299201ND
2022-07-1259529401ND
2022-10-0560535201ND
2023-01-0561622801ND
2023-04-0562874201ND
2023-07-1266835001ND
2023-10-0468009801ND