Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Lido-point Lookout Water District

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.

 

47

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND80ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND120ND
2022ND120ND
2023ND10ND

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
2018-01-117040219009-POCND
2018-01-117040219008-POCND
2018-07-207058920006-POCND
2018-07-207058920005-POCND
2018-10-117067692005ND
2018-10-117067692006ND
2019-01-237077393004ND
2019-01-237077393003ND
2019-04-187086468008ND
2019-04-187086468009ND
2019-07-097096748006ND
2019-07-097096748007ND
2019-10-1770108828009ND
2019-10-1770108828008ND
2020-01-1470118357005ND
2020-01-1470118357006ND
2020-04-2370129041002ND
2020-04-2370129041001ND
2020-09-3070147753001ND
2020-10-0870148838007ND
2020-10-0870148838006ND
2020-10-0870148838005ND
2021-01-1570159661006ND
2021-01-1570159661005ND
2021-01-1570159661007ND
2021-06-0370175544005ND
2021-06-0870176052007ND
2021-06-0870176052006ND
2021-07-1570180617003ND
2021-07-1570180617002ND
2021-07-1570180617001ND
2021-10-2770192508004ND
2021-10-2770192508002ND
2021-10-2770192508001ND
2022-01-2570201886007ND
2022-01-2570201886006ND
2022-01-2570201886008ND
2022-06-1470218200002ND
2022-06-1470218200001ND
2022-06-2070219069001ND
2022-07-2170223046006ND
2022-07-2170223046005ND
2022-08-1670226006003ND
2022-10-0670232553004ND
2022-10-0670232553002ND
2022-10-0670232553001ND
2023-12-2070281775004ND