Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Montmorenci Water District

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-27AE08322ND
2018-05-23AE12655ND
2018-08-22AE17063ND
2018-11-13AE21220ND
2019-02-20AE26033ND
2019-04-30AE29543ND
2019-08-27AE36167ND
2019-11-05AE39706ND
2020-01-14AE42850ND
2020-04-08AE47044ND
2020-08-25AE53392ND
2020-10-07AE55472ND
2021-02-03AE60574ND
2021-04-07AE63774ND
2021-08-25AE71041ND
2021-11-09AE74852ND
2022-02-23AE79524ND
2022-04-07AE81832ND
2022-04-07AE81833ND
2022-08-24AE88862ND
2022-11-02AE92454ND
2023-02-01AE96329ND
2023-04-05AE99712ND
2023-10-04AF09676ND