Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Jackson Water System

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.

 

337

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND1300ND
2019ND1610ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND150ND
2022ND310ND
2023N/A00N/A

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 Result
2018-01-03ND
2018-01-04ND
2018-01-04ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-09ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-10ND
2018-01-25ND
2018-02-05ND
2018-02-05ND
2018-02-05ND
2018-02-05ND
2018-02-06ND
2018-02-06ND
2018-02-06ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-03-06ND
2018-03-06ND
2018-03-06ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-03-07ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-04ND
2018-04-11ND
2018-04-11ND
2018-04-11ND
2018-04-13ND
2018-05-02ND
2018-06-06ND
2018-06-07ND
2018-07-11ND
2018-07-11ND
2018-07-11ND
2018-07-11ND
2018-07-12ND
2018-08-07ND
2018-08-07ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-08ND
2018-08-09ND
2018-08-09ND
2018-08-21ND
2018-08-21ND
2018-08-21ND
2018-08-22ND
2018-09-11ND
2018-09-11ND
2018-09-12ND
2018-09-12ND
2018-09-12ND
2018-09-12ND
2018-09-12ND
2018-09-20ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-02ND
2018-10-03ND
2018-10-13ND
2018-10-16ND
2018-10-16ND
2018-10-16ND
2018-10-16ND
2018-11-13ND
2018-11-13ND
2018-11-13ND
2018-11-13ND
2018-11-14ND
2018-11-14ND
2018-11-14ND
2018-11-14ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-05ND
2018-12-06ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-08ND
2019-01-09ND
2019-01-09ND
2019-01-09ND
2019-01-09ND
2019-01-09ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-04ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-05ND
2019-02-06ND
2019-02-07ND
2019-02-07ND
2019-02-07ND
2019-02-07ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-11ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-12ND
2019-03-13ND
2019-03-13ND
2019-03-13ND
2019-03-13ND
2019-03-13ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-08ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-09ND
2019-04-10ND
2019-04-11ND
2019-04-11ND
2019-04-11ND
2019-04-11ND
2019-05-07ND
2019-05-07ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-06-05ND
2019-06-05ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-07-11ND
2019-07-11ND
2019-07-11ND
2019-07-11ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-15ND
2019-07-16ND
2019-07-16ND
2019-07-16ND
2019-07-16ND
2019-08-05ND
2019-08-05ND
2019-08-06ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-08-07ND
2019-09-09ND
2019-09-09ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-09-10ND
2019-10-09ND
2019-10-09ND
2019-10-09ND
2019-10-09ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-14ND
2019-10-15ND
2019-10-15ND
2019-10-15ND
2019-10-15ND
2019-11-11ND
2019-11-11ND
2019-11-12ND
2019-11-15ND
2019-11-15ND
2019-11-15ND
2019-11-15ND
2019-12-03ND
2019-12-04ND
2021-01-06ND
2021-01-12ND
2021-02-04ND
2021-02-11ND
2021-03-10ND
2021-03-15ND
2021-06-09ND
2021-07-14ND
2021-07-15ND
2021-08-09ND
2021-08-11ND
2021-09-08ND
2021-09-09ND
2021-12-08ND
2021-12-09ND
2022-01-04ND
2022-01-04ND
2022-01-04ND
2022-01-05ND
2022-01-05ND
2022-01-05ND
2022-01-10ND
2022-01-10ND
2022-01-10ND
2022-01-11ND
2022-01-11ND
2022-01-11ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-08ND
2022-02-09ND
2022-02-09ND
2022-02-09ND
2022-03-02ND
2022-04-06ND
2022-04-12ND
2022-04-13ND
2022-05-02ND
2022-05-03ND
2022-05-03ND
2022-06-06ND
2022-06-06ND
2022-06-07ND