Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Carmel Water District 3

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.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021N/A00N/A
2022ND80ND
2023ND90ND

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
2022-05-04CL22948POCSND
2022-05-04CL22947POCSND
2022-05-04CL22946POCSND
2022-08-03CL96673POCSND
2022-08-03CL96672POCSND
2022-08-03CL96674POCSND
2022-11-01CM74680POCSND
2022-11-01CM74681POCSND
2023-01-04CN16706POCSND
2023-01-04CN16711POCSND
2023-02-01CN34080POCSND
2023-05-03CN97254POCSND
2023-05-03CN97255POCSND
2023-05-03CN97256POCSND
2023-08-01CO64611POCSND
2023-08-01CO64612POCSND
2023-08-01CO64610POCSND