Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Old Westbury

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.

 

134

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND220ND
2019ND210ND
2020ND230ND
2021ND220ND
2022ND230ND
2023ND230ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-01-177040653001ND
2018-01-247041227001ND
2018-02-147042918001ND
2018-03-127045032001ND
2018-03-147045821001ND
2018-03-147045257001ND
2018-05-307053120001ND
2018-05-307053120002ND
2018-05-307053911001ND
2018-06-067053911002ND
2018-06-137054757001ND
2018-06-137054757002ND
2018-09-107064165001ND
2018-09-107064165002ND
2018-09-187065153001ND
2018-09-187065153002ND
2018-09-277066129001ND
2018-11-137070939001ND
2018-11-147071093001ND
2018-12-057073711001ND
2018-12-057072928001ND
2018-12-177074138001ND
2019-02-077078805001ND
2019-02-137079309001ND
2019-02-147079549001ND
2019-02-147080123001ND
2019-03-067081532001ND
2019-03-147082284001ND
2019-06-067092304001ND
2019-06-177093916001ND
2019-06-177093916002ND
2019-07-027095138001ND
2019-08-2870103044001ND
2019-08-2870103044002ND
2019-09-0570103873001ND
2019-09-0570103873002ND
2019-09-1770105242001ND
2019-12-0370113638002ND
2019-12-0370113638001ND
2019-12-0470114012001ND
2019-12-0470114012004ND
2019-12-1670115593001ND
2019-12-1670115504001ND
2020-02-0470120342002ND
2020-02-0470120342001ND
2020-02-0570120651001ND
2020-02-1170121351001ND
2020-02-1870122151001ND
2020-02-2470122752001ND
2020-04-1470128026001ND
2020-04-1670128227001ND
2020-04-2770129218001ND
2020-04-2970129420001ND
2020-05-0470129805001ND
2020-05-0470129805003ND
2020-09-0870144945001ND
2020-09-0970145143001ND
2020-09-1470145712001ND
2020-09-1670146108001ND
2020-09-2170146589001ND
2020-09-2370146960001ND
2020-11-0470152067001ND
2020-11-0470152067002ND
2020-11-1070152877001ND
2020-11-1870153898001ND
2020-12-0270155232001ND
2021-01-2170160127001ND
2021-01-2570160381001ND
2021-02-1070162070001ND
2021-02-2470163536001ND
2021-03-1770166028001ND
2021-04-2170169978001ND
2021-04-2870170936001ND
2021-05-0570171626001ND
2021-05-1270172680001ND
2021-05-2670174518001ND
2021-08-1170183644001ND
2021-08-1170183644002ND
2021-08-1870184479001ND
2021-08-1870184479002ND
2021-08-2570185223002ND
2021-08-2570185223001ND
2021-11-1070194292002ND
2021-11-1070194292001ND
2021-11-1670194898002ND
2021-11-1670194898001ND
2021-12-0870197161001ND
2021-12-2270198898001ND
2022-02-0970203487002ND
2022-02-0970203487001ND
2022-02-1570204181001ND
2022-02-2370205156001ND
2022-02-2370205977001ND
2022-03-0970206884001ND
2022-04-2770212478001-POCSND
2022-05-0470213403001-POCSND
2022-05-1170214367001ND
2022-05-2570215952001ND
2022-05-2570215952002ND
2022-06-0170216491001ND
2022-07-1970222654001ND
2022-07-2170222874001ND
2022-07-2770223541001ND
2022-08-1770226250001ND
2022-08-2470227004001ND
2022-10-2670234596001ND
2022-11-0270235277001-POCSND
2022-11-1470236636001ND
2022-11-1670237103001ND
2022-11-3070238258001ND
2022-12-2170240933001ND
2023-02-0170244858001ND
2023-02-0870245579002ND
2023-02-0870245579001ND
2023-02-1570246419001ND
2023-02-2270247119001ND
2023-03-0170247847001ND
2023-04-1970253384001ND
2023-04-1970253384002ND
2023-04-2670254150001ND
2023-05-0370254928001ND
2023-05-0370254928002ND
2023-05-1070255820001ND
2023-08-0270265358001ND
2023-08-0970266210001ND
2023-08-1670267149002ND
2023-08-1670267149005ND
2023-08-1770267372001ND
2023-11-0170276064002ND
2023-11-0170276064001ND
2023-11-0870276911002ND
2023-11-0870276911001ND
2023-11-2970279039002ND
2023-11-2970279039001ND