Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Cassadaga Village

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.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND10ND
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

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-21POC 2018ND
2018-07-16POCS 2018 CASS WL4ND
2018-07-16POCS 2018 CASS WL5ND
2018-07-16POCS 2018 CASS WL1ND
2018-10-032018 POC CASSADAGAND
2018-10-09POCS 2018 CASS RESAMND
2019-03-20Q1 19 POCS WL1 CASSND
2019-03-20POCS 19 WL5 CASSADAGND
2019-05-22Q2 19 POCS WL1 CASSND
2019-08-28Q3 19 POCS WL1 CASSND
2019-11-06Q4 19 POCS WL1 CASSND
2020-08-1820 POCS WL5 CASSADAGND
2020-08-1820 POCS WL1 CASSADAGND
2021-04-19POCS 21 CASS WL1ND
2021-04-19POCS 21 CASS WL4ND
2021-04-19POCS 21 CASS WL5ND
2022-03-16POCS 22 CASS WL1ND
2023-12-20POCS 23 CASS WL1ND