1,4-Dioxane
Albertson WD
1,4-Dioxane is a solvent classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen. It contaminates groundwater in many states due to industrial wastewater discharges, plastic manufacturing runoff and landfill runoff. Read More.
Animal studies show that 1,4-dioxane can target the liver, kidneys and respiratory system, and that prenatal exposure can harm the developing fetus. The State of California has set a Public Heatlh Goal of no more than 1 part per billion of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. The state of Massachusetts sets a legal limit of 0.3 ppb, and New Hampshire's limit is 3 parts per billion. There is no national drinking water standard for this contaminant.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.220 ppb | 4 | 4 | 0.0700 ppb - 0.490 ppb |
| 2015 | 0.343 ppb | 6 | 6 | 0.0780 ppb - 0.940 ppb |
| 2016 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | 0.320 ppb | 1 | 1 | 0.320 ppb |
| 2019 | 0.280 ppb | 4 | 4 | 0.250 ppb - 0.350 ppb |
ppb = parts per billion
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 ppb for 1,4-dioxane was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.
ppb = parts per billion
All test results
| Date | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-18 | 34004 082014 | 0.130 ppb |
| 2014-08-18 | 55509 082014 | 0.190 ppb |
| 2014-08-18 | 34000 082014 | 0.0700 ppb |
| 2014-08-18 | 34003 082014 | 0.490 ppb |
| 2015-02-24 | 34004 022015 | 0.120 ppb |
| 2015-02-24 | 34000 022015 | 0.0780 ppb |
| 2015-02-25 | 55509 022015 | 0.160 ppb |
| 2015-02-25 | 34003 022015 | 0.370 ppb |
| 2015-06-19 | 34001 072015 | 0.390 ppb |
| 2015-12-03 | 34001 1215 | 0.940 ppb |
| 2018-01-16 | 7040461001 | 0.320 ppb |
| 2019-02-15 | 7079794001-PRI | 0.350 ppb |
| 2019-04-01 | 7084031002 | 0.250 ppb |
| 2019-07-09 | 7096800001 | 0.250 ppb |
| 2019-10-08 | 70107704003 | 0.270 ppb |