Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

City of Leon Valley

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

47

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND80ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND80ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-23AE09914ND
2018-03-02AE16656ND
2018-04-26AE24190ND
2018-04-26AE24188ND
2018-08-17AE37649ND
2018-08-17AE37653ND
2018-10-26AE44764ND
2018-10-26AE44766ND
2019-03-01AE56915ND
2019-03-01AE56919ND
2019-04-25AE63758ND
2019-07-19AE75356ND
2019-07-19AE75358ND
2019-10-09AE86133ND
2019-10-09AE86135ND
2020-01-30AE96323ND
2020-03-25AF04528ND
2020-04-09AF06303ND
2020-04-09AF06305ND
2020-07-08AF18899ND
2020-07-08AF18901ND
2020-11-02AF32838ND
2020-11-02AF32840ND
2021-01-14AF39552ND
2021-01-14AF39558ND
2021-04-01AF48854ND
2021-05-13AF53869ND
2021-08-03AF64491ND
2021-08-03AF64493ND
2021-12-09AF78497ND
2021-12-09AF78505ND
2022-02-14AF84680ND
2022-02-14AF84682ND
2022-04-28AF94837ND
2022-04-28AF94841ND
2022-07-15AG04971ND
2022-07-15AG04973ND
2022-10-18AG17425ND
2022-10-18AG17427ND
2023-02-17AG29691ND
2023-02-17AG29695ND
2023-04-21AG37706ND
2023-04-21AG37738ND
2023-08-14AG52400ND
2023-08-14AG52408ND
2023-10-06AG58929ND
2023-10-06AG58931ND