Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

North Penn Water Authority

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

224

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

25

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0711 ppb485ND - 0.800 ppb
20190.100 ppb456ND - 0.934 ppb
20200.0857 ppb497ND - 0.692 ppb
20210.0787 ppb385ND - 0.676 ppb
20220.0577 ppb262ND - 0.800 ppb
2023ND180ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene 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
2018-03-20201810740.666 ppb
2018-03-2020181075ND
2018-03-2020181076ND
2018-04-1620181445ND
2018-04-1620181446ND
2018-04-1620181448ND
2018-04-1620181447ND
2018-05-0220181740ND
2018-05-02201817410.636 ppb
2018-05-0220181744ND
2018-05-0220181742ND
2018-05-02201817430.668 ppb
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
2018-08-01201829240.641 ppb
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
2018-12-108122542-010.800 ppb
2019-01-2120190220ND
2019-02-0420190410ND
2019-02-0420190411ND
2019-02-0420190409ND
2019-02-04201904120.697 ppb
2019-02-0720190528ND
2019-03-0420190828ND
2019-03-0420190829ND
2019-03-0420190830ND
2019-04-1720191516ND
2019-04-1720191518ND
2019-04-1720191517ND
2019-05-0220191674ND
2019-05-02201916750.934 ppb
2019-05-0220191678ND
2019-05-0220191676ND
2019-05-02201916770.643 ppb
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
2019-08-05201929790.899 ppb
2019-09-0420193493ND
2019-09-04201934940.506 ppb
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
2019-11-04201942690.828 ppb
2019-12-0220194693ND
2019-12-0220194694ND
2019-12-0220194696ND
2019-12-0220194697ND
2019-12-0220194695ND
2020-01-2021503066.00ND
2020-01-2021503087.00ND
2020-01-2021503003.00ND
2020-01-2021503024.000.692 ppb
2020-01-2021503045.00ND
2020-02-0321667090.00ND
2020-02-0321667111.00ND
2020-02-0321667132.000.584 ppb
2020-03-0221847027.00ND
2020-03-0221847048.000.587 ppb
2020-03-0221847069.00ND
2020-03-0221847090.00ND
2020-05-0522215280.00ND
2020-05-0522215301.000.623 ppb
2020-05-0522215343.00ND
2020-05-0522215364.00ND
2020-05-0522215322.00ND
2020-06-0122416291.00ND
2020-06-0122416312.000.612 ppb
2020-06-0122416354.00ND
2020-06-0122416375.00ND
2020-06-0122416333.00ND
2020-06-0122416396.00ND
2020-07-2022607584.00ND
2020-07-2022607605.00ND
2020-07-2022607521.00ND
2020-07-2022607542.00ND
2020-07-2022607563.00ND
2020-08-0322608161.00ND
2020-08-0322608182.00ND
2020-08-0322608203.00ND
2020-08-0322608224.000.567 ppb
2020-09-0222999425.00ND
2020-09-0222999446.00ND
2020-09-0222999488.00ND
2020-09-0222999509.00ND
2020-09-0222999467.00ND
2020-09-0222999530.00ND
2020-10-1923183108.00ND
2020-10-1923183129.000.532 ppb
2020-10-1923183150.00ND
2020-11-0223362147.00ND
2020-11-0223362168.00ND
2020-11-0223362189.00ND
2020-11-0223362210.00ND
2020-12-0223537609.00ND
2020-12-0223537630.00ND
2020-12-0223537651.00ND
2020-12-0223537672.00ND
2021-01-1823712806.00ND
2021-01-1823712827.00ND
2021-01-1823712785.000.554 ppb
2021-02-0523888821.00ND
2021-02-0523888863.00ND
2021-02-0523888842.000.676 ppb
2021-03-0124060139.00ND
2021-03-0124060160.00ND
2021-03-0124060181.00ND
2021-03-0924060118.00ND
2021-04-1924247779.00ND
2021-04-1924247800.00ND
2021-05-1724438772.00ND
2021-05-1724438793.00ND
2021-05-1724438814.000.618 ppb
2021-06-0224638243.00ND
2021-06-0224638264.00ND
2021-06-0224638285.00ND
2021-06-0224638306.00ND
2021-07-2124829615.00ND
2021-07-2124829636.00ND
2021-07-2124829553.00ND
2021-07-2124829574.00ND
2021-07-2124829594.00ND
2021-08-0324829658.00ND
2021-08-0324829679.000.602 ppb
2021-08-0324829700.00ND
2021-08-0324829742.00ND
2021-08-0324829721.00ND
2021-09-0825220392.00ND
2021-09-0825220413.00ND
2021-09-0825220434.00ND
2021-10-1825405359.00ND
2021-10-1925405338.000.541 ppb
2021-10-1925405380.00ND
2021-10-1925405401.00ND
2021-11-0125588169.00ND
2021-12-0625764735.00ND
2022-01-1725942755.00ND
2022-01-1725942776.00ND
2022-01-1725942734.00ND
2022-01-1725942797.00ND
2022-02-0926117646.00ND
2022-02-0926117667.000.699 ppb
2022-02-0926117688.00ND
2022-02-0926117709.00ND
2022-03-0226287458.00ND
2022-05-0426648510.000.800 ppb
2022-05-0426648531.00ND
2022-05-0426648552.00ND
2022-05-1626649196.00ND
2022-05-1626649217.00ND
2022-05-1626649238.00ND
2022-06-0626842871.00ND
2022-07-2027037780.00ND
2022-08-0327234071.00ND
2022-08-0327234092.00ND
2022-08-0327234050.00ND
2022-08-0327234113.00ND
2022-10-1727641630.00ND
2022-10-1727641651.00ND
2022-10-1727641672.00ND
2022-11-0227823020.00ND
2022-12-0527998857.00ND
2023-01-1828172968.00ND
2023-01-1828172989.00ND
2023-01-1828172947.00ND
2023-01-1928173010.00ND
2023-02-0228349552.00ND
2023-03-0628521274.00ND
2023-03-0628521295.00ND
2023-04-1228702339.00ND
2023-06-2129108550.00ND
2023-07-1929302143.00ND
2023-07-1929302164.00ND
2023-07-1929302122.00ND
2023-08-0229497569.00ND
2023-09-1329700131.00ND
2023-09-1329700152.00ND
2023-10-1229886784.00ND
2023-11-0130071603.00ND
2023-12-0430245973.00ND