Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Collegeville Trappe Joint Public Works Department

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.

 

215

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND280ND
2019ND280ND
2020ND400ND
2021ND400ND
2022ND400ND
2023ND390ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-01-2220180311ND
2018-01-2220180312ND
2018-01-2220180313ND
2018-01-2220180314ND
2018-01-2220180315ND
2018-01-2220180316ND
2018-01-2220180317ND
2018-04-1820181575ND
2018-04-1820181576ND
2018-04-1820181577ND
2018-04-1820181578ND
2018-04-1820181579ND
2018-04-1820181580ND
2018-04-1820181581ND
2018-07-1620182718ND
2018-07-1620182719ND
2018-07-1620182720ND
2018-07-1620182721ND
2018-07-1620182722ND
2018-07-1620182723ND
2018-07-1620182724ND
2018-10-1520183946ND
2018-10-1520183947ND
2018-10-1520183948ND
2018-10-1520183949ND
2018-10-1520183950ND
2018-10-1520183951ND
2018-10-1520183952ND
2019-01-2320190306ND
2019-01-2320190307ND
2019-01-2320190308ND
2019-01-2320190309ND
2019-01-2320190310ND
2019-01-2320190311ND
2019-01-2320190312ND
2019-04-1520191439ND
2019-04-1520191440ND
2019-04-1520191441ND
2019-04-1520191442ND
2019-04-1520191443ND
2019-04-1520191444ND
2019-04-1520191445ND
2019-07-1520192706ND
2019-07-1520192707ND
2019-07-1520192708ND
2019-07-1520192709ND
2019-07-1520192710ND
2019-07-1520192711ND
2019-07-1520192712ND
2019-10-2120194150ND
2019-10-2120194151ND
2019-10-2120194152ND
2019-10-2120194153ND
2019-10-2120194154ND
2019-10-2120194155ND
2019-10-2120194156ND
2020-01-2021500897.00ND
2020-01-2021500918.00ND
2020-01-2021500939.00ND
2020-01-2021500960.00ND
2020-01-2021500981.00ND
2020-01-2021501002.00ND
2020-03-0221845019.00ND
2020-03-0221845040.00ND
2020-03-0221845061.00ND
2020-03-0221845082.00ND
2020-05-1822213320.00ND
2020-05-1822213341.00ND
2020-05-1822213362.00ND
2020-05-1822213383.00ND
2020-05-1822213404.00ND
2020-05-1822213425.00ND
2020-05-1822213446.00ND
2020-06-0822414010.00ND
2020-06-0822414031.00ND
2020-06-0822414052.00ND
2020-08-0322605630.00ND
2020-08-0322605651.00ND
2020-08-0322605672.00ND
2020-08-0322605693.00ND
2020-08-0322605714.00ND
2020-08-1722797381.00ND
2020-08-1722797402.00ND
2020-08-1722797423.00ND
2020-08-1722797444.00ND
2020-08-1722797465.00ND
2020-10-1923180750.00ND
2020-10-1923180771.00ND
2020-10-1923180792.00ND
2020-10-1923180813.00ND
2020-10-1923180834.00ND
2020-10-1923180855.00ND
2020-11-0223360570.00ND
2020-11-0223360591.00ND
2020-11-0223360612.00ND
2020-11-0223360633.00ND
2021-01-1823711041.00ND
2021-01-1823711062.00ND
2021-01-1823711083.00ND
2021-01-1823711104.00ND
2021-01-1823711125.00ND
2021-02-0323887121.00ND
2021-02-0323887142.00ND
2021-02-0323887163.00ND
2021-02-0323887184.00ND
2021-03-2224058528.00ND
2021-04-1924246024.00ND
2021-04-1924246045.00ND
2021-04-1924246066.00ND
2021-04-1924246087.00ND
2021-04-1924246108.00ND
2021-04-1924246129.00ND
2021-05-1724436783.00ND
2021-05-1724436804.00ND
2021-05-1724436825.00ND
2021-05-1724436846.00ND
2021-08-0224827172.00ND
2021-08-0224827193.00ND
2021-08-0224827214.00ND
2021-08-0224827235.00ND
2021-08-1625021288.00ND
2021-08-1625021309.00ND
2021-08-1625021330.00ND
2021-08-1625021351.00ND
2021-08-1625021372.00ND
2021-08-1625021393.00ND
2021-10-1825402985.00ND
2021-10-1825403006.00ND
2021-10-1825403027.00ND
2021-10-1825403048.00ND
2021-10-1825403069.00ND
2021-10-1825403090.00ND
2021-11-0125586581.00ND
2021-11-0125586602.00ND
2021-11-0125586623.00ND
2021-11-0125586644.00ND
2022-01-1725941003.00ND
2022-01-1725941024.00ND
2022-01-1725941045.00ND
2022-01-1725941066.00ND
2022-01-1725941087.00ND
2022-01-1725941108.00ND
2022-02-0726116015.00ND
2022-02-0726116036.00ND
2022-02-0726116057.00ND
2022-02-0726116078.00ND
2022-04-1826462319.00ND
2022-04-1826462340.00ND
2022-04-1826462361.00ND
2022-04-1826462382.00ND
2022-04-1826462403.00ND
2022-04-1826462424.00ND
2022-05-0226646908.00ND
2022-05-0226646929.00ND
2022-05-0226646950.00ND
2022-05-0226646971.00ND
2022-07-1827035696.00ND
2022-07-1827035717.00ND
2022-07-1827035738.00ND
2022-07-1827035759.00ND
2022-07-1827035780.00ND
2022-07-1827035801.00ND
2022-08-0127232420.00ND
2022-08-0127232441.00ND
2022-08-0127232462.00ND
2022-08-0127232483.00ND
2022-10-1727639854.00ND
2022-10-1727639875.00ND
2022-10-1727639896.00ND
2022-10-1727639917.00ND
2022-10-1727639938.00ND
2022-10-1727639959.00ND
2022-11-0727821392.00ND
2022-11-0727821413.00ND
2022-11-0727821434.00ND
2022-11-0727821455.00ND
2023-01-2328171112.00ND
2023-01-2328171133.00ND
2023-01-2328171154.00ND
2023-01-2328171175.00ND
2023-02-0628348077.00ND
2023-02-0628348098.00ND
2023-02-0628348119.00ND
2023-02-0628348140.00ND
2023-02-0628348161.00ND
2023-02-0628348182.00ND
2023-04-1728700397.00ND
2023-04-1728700418.00ND
2023-04-1728700439.00ND
2023-04-1728700460.00ND
2023-04-1728700481.00ND
2023-04-1728700502.00ND
2023-05-2228899025.00ND
2023-05-2228899026.00ND
2023-05-2228899027.00ND
2023-05-2228899028.00ND
2023-07-2429300396.00ND
2023-07-2429300417.00ND
2023-07-2429300438.00ND
2023-07-2429300459.00ND
2023-07-2429300480.00ND
2023-07-2429300501.00ND
2023-08-0729495523.00ND
2023-08-0729495544.00ND
2023-08-0729495565.00ND
2023-08-0729495586.00ND
2023-10-1629885091.00ND
2023-10-1629885112.00ND
2023-10-1629885133.00ND
2023-10-1629885154.00ND
2023-10-1629885175.00ND
2023-10-1629885196.00ND
2023-11-0630069949.00ND
2023-11-0630069970.00ND
2023-11-0630069991.00ND