Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Mustang Valley 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.

 

31

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-02-20Q1806881002ND
2018-11-28Q1848373003ND
2018-11-28Q1848373005ND
2018-11-28Q1848373006ND
2018-11-28Q1848373008ND
2019-03-13Q1910654001ND
2019-03-13Q1910654005ND
2019-03-13Q1910654009ND
2019-03-13Q1910654013ND
2019-09-11Q1964031002ND
2020-06-10Q2023470003ND
2020-08-26Q2034243038ND
2020-08-26Q2034243029ND
2020-08-26Q2034243019ND
2020-08-26Q2034243011ND
2020-08-26Q2034243027ND
2021-07-28Q2119759001ND
2021-07-28Q2119759006ND
2021-07-28Q2119759008ND
2021-07-28Q2119759010ND
2021-07-28Q2119759012ND
2022-10-12Q2230979013ND
2022-10-12Q2230979019ND
2022-10-12Q2230979017ND
2022-10-12Q2230979015ND
2022-10-12Q2230979002ND
2023-07-24Q2329212003ND
2023-07-24Q2329212017ND
2023-10-31Q2346536005ND
2023-10-31Q2346536007ND
2023-10-31Q2346536009ND