Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Hoosick Falls

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

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: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-04-16JH1802409ND
2018-04-16JH1802408ND
2018-05-29JH1803577ND
2018-05-29JH1803578-POCND
2019-12-09JH1908733-VOCND
2019-12-09JH1908732ND
2019-12-09JH1908734ND
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