Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Aqua Pa Uwchlan

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.

 

40

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND70ND
2023ND80ND

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
2018-01-29AF74449ND
2018-01-31AF73819ND
2018-02-26AF76934ND
2018-02-26AF76935ND
2018-03-13AF77984ND
2018-03-13AF77985ND
2019-03-06AG10268ND
2019-03-06AG10267ND
2019-03-06AG10266ND
2019-03-12AG10439ND
2019-03-12AG10441ND
2019-03-27AG11746ND
2019-11-07AG37520ND
2020-03-1121837113.00ND
2020-03-1121837197.00ND
2020-03-1121837155.00ND
2020-03-1121837134.00ND
2020-03-2621837176.00ND
2020-05-2122205094.00ND
2021-02-1023880018.00ND
2021-02-1023880060.00ND
2021-02-1023880039.00ND
2021-02-2323880102.00ND
2021-02-2323880081.00ND
2021-07-0924819010.00ND
2022-02-1826109336.00ND
2022-02-1826109354.00ND
2022-02-1826109287.00ND
2022-02-1826109308.00ND
2022-02-1826109329.00ND
2022-08-0327224138.00ND
2022-11-2927814193.00ND
2023-02-1728341077.00ND
2023-02-2728341098.00ND
2023-02-2728341119.00ND
2023-03-2128512448.00ND
2023-03-2128512427.00ND
2023-04-1728692194.00ND
2023-05-0128890014.00ND
2023-08-2929691264.00ND