Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Summit Township Water Authority

NOTE: Summit Township Water Authority purchases water from Erie City Water Authority which is required to test for dichloromethane (methylene chloride). Sample information shown below was taken by Erie City Water Authority.

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

21

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND10ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: Summit Township Water Authority purchases water from Erie City Water Authority which is required to test for dichloromethane (methylene chloride). Sample information shown below was taken by Erie City Water Authority.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-083849232ND
2018-02-203876401ND
2018-05-083931239ND
2018-05-213941491ND
2018-08-064012683ND
2018-08-214030524ND
2018-11-054111318ND
2019-01-234181796ND
2019-05-214302831ND
2019-09-104415500ND
2019-11-189112945-01ND
2019-11-184489097ND
2020-03-1921954379.00ND
2020-05-1822336336.00ND
2020-09-0923112175.00ND
2021-04-0624363628.00ND
2021-05-1924561032.00ND
2022-04-1226577556.00ND
2022-05-1726770589.00ND
2023-04-0428825964.00ND
2023-04-1828826022.00ND