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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Sidney Village

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

 

83

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND40ND
2015ND160ND
2016ND160ND
2017ND160ND
2018ND160ND
2019ND150ND

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
2014-09-02S4I0318ND
2014-09-02S4I0311ND
2014-10-02S4J0347-01ND
2014-11-04S4K0220ND
2015-01-06S5A0365-01ND
2015-02-03S5B0312-01ND
2015-03-03S5C0375-03ND
2015-03-03S5C0375-02ND
2015-03-03S5C0375-01ND
2015-04-07S5D0583-01ND
2015-05-05S5E0572-.01ND
2015-05-05S5E0572-01ND
2015-06-02S5F0458-03ND
2015-06-02S5F0458-01ND
2015-07-28S5G3115-01ND
2015-08-06S5H0565-01ND
2015-09-08S5I0718-01ND
2015-09-08S5I0721-01ND
2015-10-01S5J0278-01ND
2015-11-03S5K0369-01ND
2016-01-07S6A0258ND
2016-02-03S6B0217ND
2016-03-091603349ND
2016-03-161603726ND
2016-04-061604766ND
2016-05-041606465ND
2016-06-011608110ND
2016-06-081608617ND
2016-07-061610477ND
2016-08-031612514ND
2016-09-071614808-001ND
2016-09-071614810-001ND
2016-10-051616877-001ND
2016-11-091618807-001ND
2016-12-071620233-001ND
2016-12-071620233-002ND
2017-01-041700261001ND
2017-02-011701542001ND
2017-03-011702889001ND
2017-04-051704733001ND
2017-05-031706321001-POCSND
2017-06-071708450001ND
2017-07-051710100-001ND
2017-08-021712241001ND
2017-09-061714565001ND
2017-09-131715131-001ND
2017-10-041716472-001ND
2017-10-111716915-001ND
2017-11-011718009-001ND
2017-11-291719531-001ND
2017-12-061719871-001ND
2017-12-131720387-001ND
2018-01-031/800229-001-POCND
2018-01-101800641-001-POCSND
2018-02-071801915-001ND
2018-03-071803437-002ND
2018-04-041904893-002ND
2018-04-241806064-001ND
2018-05-091907031-001ND
2018-06-061808743-001-POCSND
2018-07-101811255-001-POCSND
2018-07-111811252-001-POCSND
2018-08-011812753-002-POCSND
2018-09-051815314-001-POCND
2018-10-031817292-POCSND
2018-10-031817293-POCSND
2018-11-071819256-POCSND
2018-12-051820658-POCSND
2019-01-021900106-001-POC&ND
2019-01-021900108-POCND
2019-02-061901738-POCND
2019-03-051903116-POC&MNND
2019-04-021904653-001-POC&ND
2019-04-031904652-POC&MNND
2019-06-051908433-POC&MNND
2019-07-031910447-POC&MNND
2019-07-101910974-001-POC&ND
2019-08-061912994-POC&MNND
2019-09-041914956-POC&MNND
2019-10-021916813-001-POC&ND
2019-10-091917249-001-POC&ND
2019-11-061918690-001-POC&ND
2019-12-041920190-001-POC&ND