Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Vinyl chloride

City of Edmond - Arcadia Lake

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

56

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND10ND
2015ND10ND
2016ND430ND
2017ND30ND
2018ND10ND
2019ND70ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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) 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-12-174L17093-02ND
2015-10-075J07131-01ND
2016-04-281486772ND
2016-04-281486773ND
2016-04-281486774ND
2016-04-281486775ND
2016-04-281486776ND
2016-04-281486777ND
2016-04-281486779ND
2016-04-281486780ND
2016-04-281486781ND
2016-04-281486782ND
2016-04-281486783ND
2016-04-281486778ND
2016-05-031489218ND
2016-05-031489217ND
2016-05-031489216ND
2016-05-041489222ND
2016-05-041489219ND
2016-05-041489220ND
2016-05-041489221ND
2016-05-051489225ND
2016-05-051489224ND
2016-05-051489223ND
2016-05-091491234ND
2016-05-091491237ND
2016-05-091491236ND
2016-05-091491235ND
2016-05-091491233ND
2016-05-091491227ND
2016-05-101491240ND
2016-05-101491239ND
2016-05-111491244ND
2016-05-111491243ND
2016-05-111491242ND
2016-05-111491241ND
2016-05-121491247ND
2016-05-121491246ND
2016-05-121491245ND
2016-05-231494783ND
2016-05-231494781ND
2016-05-231494782ND
2016-05-231494784ND
2016-05-231494785ND
2016-07-281511293ND
2017-03-087C08038-05ND
2017-03-147C14009-01ND
2017-03-207C20037-01ND
2018-07-30AG30042-36ND
2019-07-231803754ND
2019-07-231803777ND
2019-07-231803772ND
2019-07-231803765ND
2019-07-231803764ND
2019-07-231803763ND
2019-07-231803759ND