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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Gettysburg Municipal 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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

69

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND140ND
2015ND110ND
2016ND110ND
2017ND140ND
2018ND100ND
2019ND90ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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

Date Lab ID Result
2014-02-1114021715-003ND
2014-02-1114021715-001ND
2014-02-1114021715-004ND
2014-02-1814022664-001ND
2014-02-1814022664-002ND
2014-05-0514051598-001ND
2014-05-0514051598-004ND
2014-05-0614051598-002ND
2014-05-0614051598-003ND
2014-05-1414052893-001ND
2014-07-1414072165-001ND
2014-07-1414072165-002ND
2014-10-151440833ND
2014-10-151440833ND
2015-03-0312592617ND
2015-03-1112710934ND
2015-05-1912838502ND
2015-05-1912838481ND
2015-08-1113223355ND
2015-08-1113223334ND
2015-10-0613472558ND
2015-10-0613472537ND
2015-10-1313472645ND
2015-10-1313472579ND
2015-10-1313472612ND
2016-02-2213946924ND
2016-02-2313946903ND
2016-02-2313946945ND
2016-05-0314684458ND
2016-05-0314684437ND
2016-08-3014854702ND
2016-08-3014854681ND
2016-08-3014854723ND
2016-09-2715027710ND
2016-10-2515181133ND
2016-10-2515181154ND
2017-03-0715890022ND
2017-03-0715890043ND
2017-06-1516366267ND
2017-06-1516366516ND
2017-06-1516366288ND
2017-09-0516832491ND
2017-09-0616832546ND
2017-11-1417118131ND
2017-11-1617117999ND
2017-11-1617117998ND
2017-11-1617117997ND
2017-11-1617118000ND
2017-11-1617118001ND
2017-11-1717118002ND
2018-02-168004942-04ND
2018-02-168004942-01ND
2018-02-168004942-03ND
2018-02-168004942-02ND
2018-06-078016343-04ND
2018-06-078016343-03ND
2018-09-198028077-01ND
2018-09-198028077-02ND
2018-12-118037566-01ND
2018-12-118037566-02ND
2019-03-139008380-01ND
2019-03-139008380-02ND
2019-03-199009257-01ND
2019-06-059019242-04ND
2019-06-059019242-02ND
2019-06-059019242-03ND
2019-06-059019242-01ND
2019-11-279042107-01ND
2019-11-279042107-02ND