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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Truckee Meadows Water Authority

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

237

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND320ND
2015ND360ND
2016ND430ND
2017ND500ND
2018ND390ND
2019ND370ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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) 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-04-170414-11-VND
2014-04-220414-13-VND
2014-04-220414-12-VND
2014-04-22EN2014-00001942ND
2014-04-220414-16-VND
2014-04-230414-17-VND
2014-04-23EN2014-00001945ND
2014-04-24EN2014-00001944ND
2014-04-24EN2014-00001943ND
2014-06-090614-06-VND
2014-06-090614-07-VND
2014-06-170614-11-VND
2014-06-170614-10-VND
2014-06-170614-09-VND
2014-06-170614-12-VND
2014-06-170614-13-VND
2014-06-170614-14-VND
2014-06-240614-28ND
2014-06-240614-26-VND
2014-07-230714-16ND
2014-07-240714-18ND
2014-07-290714-33ND
2014-07-290714-34ND
2014-07-290714-35ND
2014-07-300714-47ND
2014-07-300714-46ND
2014-09-230914-201-VND
2014-10-161014-23-VND
2014-10-211014-52ND
2014-10-211014-53ND
2014-10-211014-51ND
2014-10-291014-72ND
2015-06-081506017-01ND
2015-06-081506018-01ND
2015-06-111506027-VOCND
2015-06-171506035-01ND
2015-06-171506036-01ND
2015-06-171506037-01ND
2015-06-171506038-01ND
2015-06-181506049-01ND
2015-06-181506047-01ND
2015-06-181506045-01ND
2015-06-181506044-01ND
2015-06-181506043-01ND
2015-06-181506054-01ND
2015-06-231506055-01ND
2015-06-231506056-01ND
2015-06-231506046-01ND
2015-06-231506061-01ND
2015-08-191508058-NSPND
2015-08-191508057-NSPND
2015-08-241508060-NSPND
2015-08-251508066-NSPND
2015-08-251508064-NSPND
2015-08-251508068-NSPND
2015-08-251508062-NSPND
2015-08-261508069-NSPND
2015-08-261508071-NSPND
2015-08-261508072-NSPND
2015-10-081510011-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510012-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510009-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510008-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510016-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510015-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510017-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510014-01NSHLND
2015-10-081510013-01NSHLND
2016-02-241602019-01NSHLND
2016-03-011603002-01NSHLND
2016-05-311605028-01NSHLND
2016-05-311605025-01NSHLND
2016-05-311605026-01NSHLND
2016-05-311605027-01NSHLND
2016-06-011606001-01NSHLND
2016-06-061606010-01NSHLND
2016-06-091606027-01NSHLND
2016-06-281606059-01NSHLND
2016-06-281606052-01NSHLND
2016-07-191607022-01NSHLND
2016-07-191607021-01NSHLND
2016-07-191607023-01NSHLND
2016-07-191607024-01NSHLND
2016-07-201607033-01NSHLND
2016-07-201607035-01NSHLND
2016-07-201607038-01NSHLND
2016-08-041608010-01EURND
2016-08-041608011-01EURND
2016-08-041608012-01EURND
2016-08-041608014-01EURND
2016-08-151608022-01NSHLND
2016-08-151608023-01NSHLND
2016-08-241608035-01EURND
2016-08-241608034-01NSHLND
2016-08-241608033-01EURND
2016-08-241608037-01NSHLND
2016-08-251608036-01EURND
2016-08-251608039-01EURND
2016-08-301608047-01EURND
2016-08-301608046-01EURND
2016-09-141609016-01EURND
2016-09-201608035-02WEKND
2016-09-221609024-01NSHLND
2016-10-111610023-01NSHLND
2016-10-111610010-01NSHLND
2016-10-121610014-01NSHLND
2016-10-131610017-01NSHLND
2016-10-171610032-01NSHLND
2016-10-171610029-01NSHLND
2016-10-181610033-01NSHLND
2016-10-181610027-01NSHLND
2017-01-111701006-01NSHLND
2017-02-071702004-01NSHLND
2017-03-081703009-01NSHLND
2017-03-081703008-01NSHLND
2017-03-081703011-01NSHLND
2017-05-021705003-01NSHLND
2017-05-021705004-01NSHLND
2017-05-021705005-01NSHLND
2017-05-031705010-01NSHLND
2017-05-031705009-01NSHLND
2017-05-151705022-01NSHLND
2017-05-151705023-01NSHLND
2017-05-151705025-01NSHLND
2017-05-151705024-01NSHLND
2017-05-171706031-01NSHLND
2017-05-251705042-01NSHLND
2017-05-251705041-01NSHLND
2017-07-111707003-01NSHLND
2017-07-111707002-01NSHLND
2017-07-111707005-01NSHLND
2017-07-111707004-01NSHLND
2017-07-121707010-01NSHLND
2017-07-121707012-01NSHLND
2017-07-121707008-01NSHLND
2017-07-131707043-01NSHLND
2017-07-181707020-01NSHLND
2017-07-181707021-01NSHLND
2017-07-181707022-01NSHLND
2017-07-181707024-01NSHLND
2017-07-191707027-01NSHLND
2017-08-161708013-01NSHLND
2017-08-161708014-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708026-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708028-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708027-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708029-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708030-01NSHLND
2017-08-291708025-01NSHLND
2017-10-041710002-01NSHLND
2017-10-041710004-01NSHLND
2017-10-101710014-01NSHLND
2017-10-101710017-01NSHLND
2017-10-101710018-01NSHLND
2017-10-251710034-01NSHLND
2017-10-251710035-01NSHLND
2017-10-301710047-01NSHLND
2017-10-311710054-01NSHLND
2017-10-311710056-01NSHLND
2017-10-311710049-01NSHLND
2017-11-021712003-01NSHLND
2018-01-231801009-01ND
2018-01-231801010-01ND
2018-02-011802001-01ND
2018-02-011802003-01ND
2018-02-061802006-01ND
2018-02-071802007-01ND
2018-04-041804005-01ND
2018-04-091804011-01ND
2018-04-091804012-01ND
2018-04-101804036-01ND
2018-04-111804017-01ND
2018-04-111804018-01ND
2018-04-111804019-01ND
2018-04-241804027-01WETND
2018-04-251804025-01WETND
2018-04-261804044-01WETND
2018-05-021805010-01ND
2018-05-02EN2018-00002074ND
2018-05-211805043-01WETND
2018-05-231805041-01WETND
2018-07-241807025-01ND
2018-07-271807014-02ND
2018-07-271807015-02ND
2018-07-271807019-02ND
2018-07-271807021-02ND
2018-08-101808015-02ND
2018-08-101808022-01ND
2018-08-141808024-01ND
2018-08-141808025-01ND
2018-10-101810015-02NSHLND
2018-10-151810019-01NSHLND
2018-10-151810021-01NSHLND
2018-11-141811008-02NSHLND
2018-11-141811009-02NSHLND
2018-11-141811010-02NSHLND
2018-11-141811011-02NSHLND
2018-11-141811012-02NSHLND
2018-11-161810031-01NSHLND
2018-11-16EN2018-00005841ND
2019-01-091901012-02NSHLND
2019-01-091901013-02NSHLND
2019-01-161901011-02NSHLND
2019-01-161901017-02NSHLND
2019-01-221901010-02ND
2019-02-051902001-01ND
2019-02-261902019-01ND
2019-04-081904004-01ND
2019-04-251904020-01ND
2019-05-071905007-01ND
2019-05-071905008-01ND
2019-05-201905019-01ND
2019-05-291905027-01ND
2019-06-191906012-01WETND
2019-06-191906014-01WETND
2019-06-191906015-01WETND
2019-06-191906016-01WETND
2019-06-261906019-01WETND
2019-06-271906022-01WETND
2019-06-271906023-01WETND
2019-07-011907003-01WETND
2019-07-011907004-01WETND
2019-07-091907014-02WETND
2019-07-151907018-02WETND
2019-07-291907046-01WETND
2019-07-301907048-01WETND
2019-08-061908002-01WETND
2019-08-061908007-01WETND
2019-08-121908013-01WETND
2019-08-131907036-01WETND
2019-08-131907038-01WETND
2019-08-291908026-01ND
2019-09-051907045-04ND
2019-09-181909007-01ND
2019-10-011910004-01ND
2019-10-021910010-01ND
2019-10-021910012-01ND