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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Carbon tetrachloride

Sidney Village

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

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 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride exposure.

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
2016-09-071614810-001ND
2016-09-071614808-001ND
2016-10-051616877-001ND
2016-11-091618807-001ND
2016-12-071620233-002ND
2016-12-071620233-001ND
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