Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Mcconnellsburg Borough Municipal 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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

10

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
20190.375 ppb42ND - 1.000 ppb
20200.588 ppb42ND - 1.54 ppb
20210.555 ppb42ND - 1.23 ppb
20220.425 ppb42ND - 0.910 ppb
20230.530 ppb42ND - 1.20 ppb

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
2018-03-28(102) HORTONND
2018-10-17(101) RESERVND
2018-10-17(104) SECRESND
2018-10-17(105) SECRESND
2019-07-17(102) HORTONND
2019-07-17(104) SECRES0.500 ppb
2019-07-17(105) SECRES1.000 ppb
2019-07-17(101) RESERVND
2020-06-1722495021.000.810 ppb
2020-06-1722495020.00ND
2020-06-1722495019.00ND
2020-07-2222685954.001.54 ppb
2021-07-0724907885.00ND
2021-07-0724907884.00ND
2021-07-0724907886.000.990 ppb
2021-07-0724907887.001.23 ppb
2022-06-0626923321.00ND
2022-06-0626923322.000.790 ppb
2022-06-0626923320.00ND
2022-06-0626923323.000.910 ppb
2023-06-1529190971.00ND
2023-06-1529190992.000.920 ppb
2023-06-1529191100.00ND
2023-08-1629582865.001.20 ppb