Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Fort Campbell Water System

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.

 

29

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

9

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
20190.182 ppb41ND - 0.729 ppb
2020N/A00N/A
20210.761 ppb220.727 ppb - 0.794 ppb
20220.352 ppb84ND - 0.785 ppb
20230.113 ppb112ND - 0.647 ppb

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 Result
2018-03-14ND
2018-05-21ND
2018-09-26ND
2018-12-12ND
2019-02-19ND
2019-06-13ND
2019-09-250.729 ppb
2019-12-04ND
2021-08-030.794 ppb
2021-08-030.727 ppb
2022-04-18ND
2022-04-18ND
2022-07-26ND
2022-07-260.646 ppb
2022-07-260.700 ppb
2022-10-190.785 ppb
2022-10-190.686 ppb
2022-10-19ND
2023-02-08ND
2023-02-08ND
2023-02-08ND
2023-04-04ND
2023-04-04ND
2023-04-04ND
2023-07-19ND
2023-07-190.647 ppb
2023-07-19ND
2023-10-11ND
2023-10-110.593 ppb