Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Mccoy Water Supply Corporation

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND60ND

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
2018-02-05AE12259ND
2018-02-05AE12261ND
2018-02-05AE12257ND
2019-06-05AE69256ND
2019-06-05AE69258ND
2019-11-18AE89581ND
2020-03-26AF04716ND
2020-03-26AF04726ND
2020-03-26AF04728ND
2020-06-10AF14868ND
2020-06-10AF14870ND
2020-07-07AF18407ND
2020-07-07AF18403ND
2021-06-28AF59681ND
2021-09-20AF70457ND
2021-09-20AF70459ND
2022-07-05AG03259ND
2022-07-05AG03261ND
2022-07-05AG03263ND
2023-05-03AG39139ND
2023-05-03AG39145ND
2023-05-03AG39151ND
2023-05-03AG39153ND
2023-09-15AG56654ND
2023-10-02AG58143ND