Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Ringwood Water Department

NOTE: Ringwood Water Department purchases water from Passaic Valley Water Commission which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by Passaic Valley Water Commission.

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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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: Ringwood Water Department purchases water from Passaic Valley Water Commission which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by Passaic Valley Water Commission.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-03AC05714HZND
2018-04-03JC64162-1ND
2018-07-11AC13282HZND
2018-10-03AC17084HZND
2019-01-02AC20580HZND
2019-04-10AC25044HZND
2019-07-03AC28785HZND
2019-10-02AC33219HZND
2020-01-08AC37301HZND
2020-04-01AC40801HZND
2020-07-01AC44467HZND
2020-10-07AC48494HZND
2021-01-06AC51904HZND
2021-04-07AC55371HZND
2021-07-07AC59006HZND
2021-10-06AC63608HZND
2022-01-05AC67073HZND
2022-04-06AC70562HZND
2022-07-06AC74369HZND
2022-10-06AC78224HZND
2023-01-04AC82218HZND
2023-04-0523D0288-01ND
2023-07-05AC89750HZND
2023-10-04AC93846HZND