Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Veolia - Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania

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.

 

33

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

11

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.366 ppb52ND - 0.930 ppb
20190.437 ppb64ND - 0.910 ppb
20200.426 ppb53ND - 0.820 ppb
20210.134 ppb51ND - 0.670 ppb
20220.102 ppb51ND - 0.510 ppb
2023ND70ND

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
2018-02-232297488001ND
2018-02-2322974880020.930 ppb
2018-05-011810634-010.900 ppb
2018-08-071821380-01ND
2018-11-123000062001ND
2019-01-15H9A0708-01ND
2019-01-15H9A0708-020.590 ppb
2019-04-10H9D0711-010.560 ppb
2019-08-06H9H0636-01ND
2019-08-07H9H0668-010.560 ppb
2019-11-05H9K0519-010.910 ppb
2020-02-0521790386.00ND
2020-02-0521790378.000.660 ppb
2020-05-0622353569.00ND
2020-08-0522940776.000.820 ppb
2020-11-0423483720.000.650 ppb
2021-01-1923836162.00ND
2021-01-1923836106.000.670 ppb
2021-05-1124578435.00ND
2021-07-2124965402.00ND
2021-11-1125712680.00ND
2022-02-1026237327.00ND
2022-02-1026237302.000.510 ppb
2022-05-1026786869.00ND
2022-08-1127382541.00ND
2022-11-0827946575.00ND
2023-02-1328469987.00ND
2023-02-1328470062.00ND
2023-02-1328470085.00ND
2023-02-1328470008.00ND
2023-04-1928844020.00ND
2023-07-0529440190.00ND
2023-11-0930195333.00ND