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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

Ambler Boro Water Dept

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

 

152

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND390ND
2015ND180ND
2016ND390ND
2017ND230ND
2018ND170ND
2019ND160ND

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
2014-01-291069845001ND
2014-01-291069845002ND
2014-01-291069845003ND
2014-01-291069845004ND
2014-01-291069845005ND
2014-01-291069845006ND
2014-01-291069845007ND
2014-01-291069845008ND
2014-01-291069845009ND
2014-01-291069845010ND
2014-06-112012509001ND
2014-06-112012509002ND
2014-06-112012509003ND
2014-06-112012509004ND
2014-06-112012509006ND
2014-06-112012509007ND
2014-06-252014679001ND
2014-06-252014679002ND
2014-06-252014679003ND
2014-09-172030028001ND
2014-09-172030028002ND
2014-09-172030028003ND
2014-09-172030028004ND
2014-09-172030028005ND
2014-09-172030028006ND
2014-09-172030028007ND
2014-09-172030028008ND
2014-09-172030028009ND
2014-09-172030028010ND
2014-10-292037428001ND
2014-10-292037428002ND
2014-10-292037428003ND
2014-10-292037428004ND
2014-10-292037428005ND
2014-10-292037428006ND
2014-10-292037428007ND
2014-10-292037428008ND
2014-10-292037428009ND
2014-10-292037428010ND
2015-02-2512400315ND
2015-04-0812631291ND
2015-06-2412880568ND
2015-06-2412880589ND
2015-06-2412880610ND
2015-06-2412880631ND
2015-06-2412880652ND
2015-06-2412880673ND
2015-06-2412880694ND
2015-06-2412880715ND
2015-06-2412880736ND
2015-06-2412880757ND
2015-07-2913011034ND
2015-09-3013263537ND
2015-10-1413387766ND
2015-12-0213512974ND
2015-12-3113631984ND
2015-12-3113632005ND
2016-03-2313984582ND
2016-03-2313984561ND
2016-03-2313984540ND
2016-03-3013984603ND
2016-03-3013984624ND
2016-03-3013984645ND
2016-03-3013984666ND
2016-03-3013984687ND
2016-05-1214249396ND
2016-05-1214249417ND
2016-06-2214404051ND
2016-06-2214404072ND
2016-06-2214404093ND
2016-06-2214404114ND
2016-06-2214404135ND
2016-06-2214404156ND
2016-06-2214404177ND
2016-06-2214404198ND
2016-06-2214404219ND
2016-08-1714733673ND
2016-08-1714733694ND
2016-08-1714733715ND
2016-08-1714733736ND
2016-08-1714733757ND
2016-08-1714733778ND
2016-08-1714733799ND
2016-08-1714733820ND
2016-08-1714733841ND
2016-08-1714733862ND
2016-11-3015224687ND
2016-11-3015224708ND
2016-11-3015224729ND
2016-11-3015224750ND
2016-11-3015224771ND
2016-11-3015224792ND
2016-11-3015224813ND
2016-11-3015224834ND
2016-11-3015224855ND
2016-11-3015224876ND
2017-02-0815653691ND
2017-02-0815653712ND
2017-02-0815653733ND
2017-02-0815653754ND
2017-02-0815653775ND
2017-02-0815653796ND
2017-02-0815653817ND
2017-02-0815653838ND
2017-02-0815653880ND
2017-05-2416092659ND
2017-05-2416092680ND
2017-05-2416092701ND
2017-05-2416092722ND
2017-05-2416092743ND
2017-05-2416092764ND
2017-05-2416092785ND
2017-05-2416092806ND
2017-05-2416092827ND
2017-05-2416092848ND
2017-08-3016564014ND
2017-08-3016563993ND
2017-10-1816878476ND
2017-10-1816878455ND
2018-01-172289928001ND
2018-01-172289928002ND
2018-04-188010781-01ND
2018-04-188010781-02ND
2018-07-188075158-01ND
2018-07-188075158-03ND
2018-07-188075158-05ND
2018-07-188075158-07ND
2018-07-188075158-09ND
2018-07-188075158-11ND
2018-07-188075158-13ND
2018-07-188075158-15ND
2018-07-188075158-17ND
2018-08-298025873-01ND
2018-10-312347828001ND
2018-10-312347828003ND
2018-11-283003466001ND
2019-06-273042701001ND
2019-06-273042701003ND
2019-06-273042701005ND
2019-09-113057541001ND
2019-09-113057541003ND
2019-09-113057541005ND
2019-09-113057541007ND
2019-09-113057541009ND
2019-09-113057541011ND
2019-09-113057541013ND
2019-09-113057541015ND
2019-09-113057541017ND
2019-09-113057541019ND
2019-11-203071675001ND
2019-11-203071675003ND
2019-11-203071675005ND