Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

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Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

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
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, established in 1987, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-27AE08318ND
2018-06-14AE13735ND
2018-09-05AE17680ND
2018-11-14AE21351ND
2019-03-07AE26871ND
2019-05-06AE29805ND
2019-08-06AE34770ND
2019-11-13AE40149ND
2020-03-12AE46094ND
2020-05-27AE49082ND
2020-07-22AE51792ND
2020-11-30AE58081ND
2021-03-11AE62653ND
2021-06-16AE67542ND
2021-09-21AE72334ND
2021-11-30AE75646ND
2022-02-23AE79542ND
2022-06-01AE84526ND
2022-09-14AE89724ND
2022-11-29AE93463ND
2023-01-24AE95948ND
2023-04-18AF00390ND
2023-07-18AF05696ND
2023-10-17AF10285ND