Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Ridge Spring, Town of

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.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND10ND

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
2018-01-17AE06217ND
2018-05-02AE11636ND
2018-07-18AE15231ND
2018-10-17AE19864ND
2019-02-27AE26426ND
2019-04-02AE28055ND
2019-07-16AE33704ND
2019-11-25AE40764ND
2020-02-11AE44279ND
2020-04-22AE47574ND
2020-12-09AE58678ND
2021-02-24AE61854ND
2021-06-24AE67917ND
2021-07-21AE69291ND
2021-11-17AE75295ND
2022-01-12AE77416ND
2022-04-20AE82499ND
2022-11-16AE93064ND
2023-10-18AF10384ND