Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Paw Penn District

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.

 

56

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND80ND
2019ND100ND
2020ND110ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND110ND

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
2018-01-1138161501ND
2018-01-1138161101ND
2018-01-1138161401ND
2018-01-1138161301ND
2018-01-1138161201ND
2018-04-1139072601ND
2018-07-1640207301ND
2018-10-1741961701ND
2019-01-0942499201ND
2019-01-0942499601ND
2019-01-0942499501ND
2019-01-0942499401ND
2019-01-0942499301ND
2019-04-0143658101ND
2019-07-0845016101ND
2019-07-1545716201ND
2019-10-0746831501ND
2019-10-3143999801ND
2020-01-0621542693.00ND
2020-01-0621542541.00ND
2020-01-0621542651.00ND
2020-01-0621542609.00ND
2020-01-0621542630.00ND
2020-01-0621542562.00ND
2020-01-0621542583.00ND
2020-01-1521542672.00ND
2020-05-0622261498.00ND
2020-08-1722843895.00ND
2020-10-0823224116.00ND
2021-01-1423754064.00ND
2021-01-1423754043.00ND
2021-01-1423754106.00ND
2021-01-1423754085.00ND
2021-04-1424290664.00ND
2021-04-2124290993.00ND
2021-07-0124873776.00ND
2021-10-0625448163.00ND
2022-01-0525982958.00ND
2022-01-0525982906.00ND
2022-01-0525982914.00ND
2022-01-0525982937.00ND
2022-01-0525982887.00ND
2022-04-0626506761.00ND
2022-07-0527082948.00ND
2022-10-0627684615.00ND
2023-01-0528212795.00ND
2023-01-0528212873.00ND
2023-01-0528212852.00ND
2023-01-0528212824.00ND
2023-01-0528212845.00ND
2023-01-0528212783.00ND
2023-01-0528212897.00ND
2023-04-1328749291.00ND
2023-06-0729155742.00ND
2023-07-2029346682.00ND
2023-10-1229928182.00ND