Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Hunters Creek Mobile Home Park

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.

 

70

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND120ND
2019ND120ND
2020ND130ND
2021ND120ND
2022ND120ND
2023ND90ND

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
2018-03-31480-133960-1ND
2018-03-31480-133960-2ND
2018-03-31480-133960-3ND
2018-06-26D8F2922-01ND
2018-06-26D8F2922-0ND
2018-06-26D8F2922-02ND
2018-09-278092385-04ND
2018-09-278092385-06ND
2018-09-278092385-05ND
2018-11-15480-145462-4ND
2018-11-15480-145462-5ND
2018-11-15480-145462-3ND
2019-03-229033240-02ND
2019-03-229033240-03ND
2019-03-229033240-01ND
2019-05-01R1903905-005ND
2019-05-01R1903905-003ND
2019-05-01R1903905-004ND
2019-08-12EHS1900040581-SR-2POND
2019-08-12EHS1900040580-SR-3POND
2019-08-143052462004ND
2019-12-313078958001ND
2019-12-313078958006ND
2019-12-313078958003ND
2020-01-013120360003ND
2020-03-1730936280002ND
2020-03-1730936280003ND
2020-03-1730936280001ND
2020-05-193104459002ND
2020-05-193104459003ND
2020-05-193104459001ND
2020-08-053120360001ND
2020-08-053120360003-AND
2020-08-053120360002ND
2020-12-213148599002ND
2020-12-213148599004ND
2020-12-213148599003ND
2021-03-013161998001ND
2021-06-163183763003ND
2021-07-213190623001ND
2021-08-113195575003ND
2021-08-113195575001ND
2021-08-113195575002ND
2021-09-22EHS2100090554-1ND
2021-09-22EHS2100090552ND
2021-09-22EHS2100090553-1ND
2021-11-09R2111924-001-01ND
2021-11-09R2111924-002-00ND
2021-11-09R2111924-003-0ND
2022-03-08R2202092-3ND
2022-03-08R2202092-2ND
2022-03-08R2202092-1ND
2022-05-03R2204040403002ND
2022-05-03R220404040-002ND
2022-05-03R220404040-001ND
2022-08-11R2207562-003ND
2022-08-11R2207562-002ND
2022-08-11R2207662-001ND
2022-11-29EHS220058671--01POCND
2022-11-29EHS220058690-01 POCND
2022-11-29EHS2200586473-01 POCND
2023-03-29R2302743-001ND
2023-03-29R2302743-002ND
2023-03-29R2302743-003ND
2023-08-16R2307509-006ND
2023-08-16R2307509-004ND
2023-08-16R2307509-005ND
2023-11-30R2311073-002-01ND
2023-11-30R2311073-004-03ND
2023-11-30R2311073-003-02ND