Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Wee Wood Park

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND100ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-22POCS 2018 WEE WOODND
2018-02-27Q1 18 TRT POCS WEE WND
2018-02-27Q1 18 RAW POCS WEE WND
2018-03-29POCS 18 WEE WOOD RESND
2018-05-10Q2 18 RAW POCS WEE WND
2018-05-10Q2 18 TRT POCS WEE WND
2018-09-25Q3 18 RAW POCS WEE WND
2018-09-25Q3 18 TRT POCS WEE WND
2018-11-27Q4 18 TRT POCS WEE WND
2018-11-27Q4 18 RAW POCS WEE WND
2019-02-19Q1 19 RAW POCS WEE WND
2019-02-19Q1 19 TRT POCS WEE WND
2019-05-28Q2 19 TRT POCS WEE WND
2019-07-24Q3 19 POCS WEE WOODND
2019-10-03Q4 19 POCS WEE WOODND
2020-02-19Q1 20 POCS WEE WOODND
2020-04-14Q2 20 POCS WEE WOODND
2020-08-04Q3 20 POCS WEE WOODND
2020-12-08Q4 20 POCS WEE WOODND
2021-02-09Q1 21 POCS WEE WOODND
2021-05-18Q2 21 POCS WEE WOODND
2021-08-23POCS 21 WEE WOODND
2021-09-07Q3 21 POCS WEE WOODND
2021-10-19Q4 21 POCS WEE WOODND
2022-03-22Q1 22 POCS WEE WOODND
2022-05-17Q2 22 POCS WEE WOODND
2022-07-12Q3 22 POCS WEEWOODND
2022-11-01Q4 22 POCS WEEWOODND
2023-02-14Q1 23 POCS WEEWOODND
2023-04-04Q2 23 POCS WEEWOODND
2023-07-11Q3 23 POCS WEEWOODND
2023-10-10Q4 23 POCS WEEWOODND