Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Dykeer Water Company

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

43

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND70ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND130ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-19420-142954-1-POCSND
2018-09-19420-142954-3-POCSND
2018-09-19420-142954-4-POCSND
2018-09-19420-142954-2-POCSND
2019-07-23420-157376-3POCSND
2019-07-23420-157376-2POCSND
2019-07-23420-157376-4POCSND
2019-07-23420-157376-1POCSND
2020-05-26AW09707-POCSND
2020-05-26AW09705-POCSND
2020-10-12420-182873-3POCSND
2020-10-12420-182873-2POCSND
2020-10-12420-182873-1POCSND
2020-10-20AW20298-POCSND
2020-10-22420-183753-1POCSND
2021-02-24420-191757-2-POCSND
2021-02-24420-191757-1-POCSND
2021-02-24420-191757-4-POCSND
2021-02-24420-191757-3-POCSND
2021-05-19AX09634-POCSND
2021-05-19AX09640-POCSND
2021-10-07AX20489-POCSND
2022-02-24420-217879-4-POCSND
2022-02-24420-217879-2-POCSND
2022-02-24420-217879-3-POCSND
2022-06-08AY09697-POCSND
2022-06-08AY09695-POCSND
2022-10-11AY18277-POCSND
2022-10-2622J3796-02-POCSND
2022-11-2322K3456-04-POCSND
2023-01-2723A2749-01-POCSND
2023-02-0223B0338-03-POCSND
2023-04-1923D2193-10-POCSND
2023-04-1923D2193-08-POCSND
2023-04-1923D2193-06-POCSND
2023-04-1923D2193-12-POCSND
2023-05-02AZ07878-POCSND
2023-05-02AZ07876-POCSND
2023-07-1923G2529-09-POCSND
2023-07-1923G2529-11-POCSND
2023-10-11AZ18774-POCSND
2023-10-1323J2006-03-POCSND
2023-10-1323J2006-05-POCSND