Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

North Penn Water Authority

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.

 

224

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND480ND
2019ND450ND
2020ND490ND
2021ND380ND
2022ND260ND
2023ND180ND

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
2018-01-2220180293ND
2018-01-2220180294ND
2018-01-2220180295ND
2018-01-2220180296ND
2018-02-0520180455ND
2018-02-0520180456ND
2018-02-0520180452ND
2018-02-0520180453ND
2018-02-0520180454ND
2018-02-0520180457ND
2018-03-2020181073ND
2018-03-2020181074ND
2018-03-2020181075ND
2018-03-2020181076ND
2018-04-1620181445ND
2018-04-1620181446ND
2018-04-1620181448ND
2018-04-1620181447ND
2018-05-0220181740ND
2018-05-0220181741ND
2018-05-0220181744ND
2018-05-0220181742ND
2018-05-0220181743ND
2018-06-1820182322ND
2018-06-1820182324ND
2018-06-1820182325ND
2018-06-1820182323ND
2018-06-1820182326ND
2018-06-1820182327ND
2018-07-1620182699ND
2018-07-1620182700ND
2018-07-1620182701ND
2018-08-0120182922ND
2018-08-0120182923ND
2018-08-0120182920ND
2018-08-0120182921ND
2018-08-0120182924ND
2018-09-0520183429ND
2018-09-0520183431ND
2018-09-0520183430ND
2018-09-0520183432ND
2018-10-1520183924ND
2018-10-1520183926ND
2018-10-1520183925ND
2018-12-038121626-01ND
2018-12-038121626-03ND
2018-12-038121626-02ND
2018-12-108122542-01ND
2019-01-2120190220ND
2019-02-0420190410ND
2019-02-0420190411ND
2019-02-0420190409ND
2019-02-0420190412ND
2019-02-0720190528ND
2019-03-0420190828ND
2019-03-0420190829ND
2019-03-0420190830ND
2019-04-1720191516ND
2019-04-1720191518ND
2019-04-1720191517ND
2019-05-0220191674ND
2019-05-0220191675ND
2019-05-0220191678ND
2019-05-0220191676ND
2019-05-0220191677ND
2019-07-1520192723ND
2019-07-1520192724ND
2019-07-1520192727ND
2019-07-1520192728ND
2019-07-1520192725ND
2019-07-1520192726ND
2019-08-0520192977ND
2019-08-0520192978ND
2019-08-0520192976ND
2019-08-0520192979ND
2019-09-0420193493ND
2019-09-0420193494ND
2019-09-0420193495ND
2019-09-0420193496ND
2019-10-2120194146ND
2019-10-2120194147ND
2019-10-2120194148ND
2019-11-0420194264ND
2019-11-0420194265ND
2019-11-0420194267ND
2019-11-0420194266ND
2019-11-0420194268ND
2019-11-0420194269ND
2019-12-0220194693ND
2019-12-0220194694ND
2019-12-0220194696ND
2019-12-0220194697ND
2019-12-0220194695ND
2020-01-2021503057.00ND
2020-01-2021503078.00ND
2020-01-2021502994.00ND
2020-01-2021503015.00ND
2020-01-2021503036.00ND
2020-02-0321667081.00ND
2020-02-0321667102.00ND
2020-02-0321667123.00ND
2020-03-0221847018.00ND
2020-03-0221847039.00ND
2020-03-0221847060.00ND
2020-03-0221847081.00ND
2020-05-0522215271.00ND
2020-05-0522215292.00ND
2020-05-0522215334.00ND
2020-05-0522215355.00ND
2020-05-0522215313.00ND
2020-06-0122416282.00ND
2020-06-0122416303.00ND
2020-06-0122416345.00ND
2020-06-0122416366.00ND
2020-06-0122416324.00ND
2020-06-0122416387.00ND
2020-07-2022607575.00ND
2020-07-2022607596.00ND
2020-07-2022607512.00ND
2020-07-2022607533.00ND
2020-07-2022607554.00ND
2020-08-0322608152.00ND
2020-08-0322608173.00ND
2020-08-0322608194.00ND
2020-08-0322608215.00ND
2020-09-0222999416.00ND
2020-09-0222999437.00ND
2020-09-0222999479.00ND
2020-09-0222999500.00ND
2020-09-0222999458.00ND
2020-09-0222999521.00ND
2020-10-1923183099.00ND
2020-10-1923183120.00ND
2020-10-1923183141.00ND
2020-11-0223362138.00ND
2020-11-0223362159.00ND
2020-11-0223362180.00ND
2020-11-0223362201.00ND
2020-12-0223537600.00ND
2020-12-0223537621.00ND
2020-12-0223537642.00ND
2020-12-0223537663.00ND
2021-01-1823712797.00ND
2021-01-1823712818.00ND
2021-01-1823712776.00ND
2021-02-0523888812.00ND
2021-02-0523888854.00ND
2021-02-0523888833.00ND
2021-03-0124060130.00ND
2021-03-0124060151.00ND
2021-03-0124060172.00ND
2021-03-0924060109.00ND
2021-04-1924247770.00ND
2021-04-1924247791.00ND
2021-05-1724438763.00ND
2021-05-1724438784.00ND
2021-05-1724438805.00ND
2021-06-0224638234.00ND
2021-06-0224638255.00ND
2021-06-0224638276.00ND
2021-06-0224638297.00ND
2021-07-2124829606.00ND
2021-07-2124829627.00ND
2021-07-2124829544.00ND
2021-07-2124829565.00ND
2021-07-2124829585.00ND
2021-08-0324829649.00ND
2021-08-0324829670.00ND
2021-08-0324829691.00ND
2021-08-0324829733.00ND
2021-08-0324829712.00ND
2021-09-0825220383.00ND
2021-09-0825220404.00ND
2021-09-0825220425.00ND
2021-10-1825405350.00ND
2021-10-1925405329.00ND
2021-10-1925405371.00ND
2021-10-1925405392.00ND
2021-11-0125588160.00ND
2021-12-0625764726.00ND
2022-01-1725942746.00ND
2022-01-1725942767.00ND
2022-01-1725942725.00ND
2022-01-1725942788.00ND
2022-02-0926117637.00ND
2022-02-0926117658.00ND
2022-02-0926117679.00ND
2022-02-0926117700.00ND
2022-03-0226287449.00ND
2022-05-0426648501.00ND
2022-05-0426648522.00ND
2022-05-0426648543.00ND
2022-05-1626649187.00ND
2022-05-1626649208.00ND
2022-05-1626649229.00ND
2022-06-0626842862.00ND
2022-07-2027037771.00ND
2022-08-0327234062.00ND
2022-08-0327234083.00ND
2022-08-0327234041.00ND
2022-08-0327234104.00ND
2022-10-1727641621.00ND
2022-10-1727641642.00ND
2022-10-1727641663.00ND
2022-11-0227823011.00ND
2022-12-0527998848.00ND
2023-01-1828172959.00ND
2023-01-1828172980.00ND
2023-01-1828172938.00ND
2023-01-1928173001.00ND
2023-02-0228349543.00ND
2023-03-0628521265.00ND
2023-03-0628521286.00ND
2023-04-1228702330.00ND
2023-06-2129108541.00ND
2023-07-1929302134.00ND
2023-07-1929302155.00ND
2023-07-1929302113.00ND
2023-08-0229497560.00ND
2023-09-1329700122.00ND
2023-09-1329700143.00ND
2023-10-1229886775.00ND
2023-11-0130071594.00ND
2023-12-0430245964.00ND