Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Hoosick Falls

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.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-04-16JH1802408ND
2018-04-16JH1802409ND
2018-05-29JH1803578-POCND
2018-05-29JH1803577ND
2019-12-09JH1908734ND
2019-12-09JH1908732ND
2019-12-09JH1908733-VOCND
2020-08-13L2032972ND
2021-03-16JH2102005ND
2021-03-16JH2102004ND
2021-03-16JH2102006ND
2021-05-14L2125415-01ND
2022-03-07JH2201765ND
2022-03-07JH220173ND
2022-03-07JH2201764ND
2022-09-26L2253017-01ND
2023-05-15JH2303551ND
2023-05-15JH2303552ND
2023-05-15JH2303553ND