Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of Pilot Point

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.

 

46

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND90ND
2020ND100ND
2021ND70ND
2022ND70ND
2023ND70ND

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
2018-03-15Q1810838004ND
2018-03-15Q1810838002ND
2018-03-15Q1810838011ND
2018-03-15Q1810838009ND
2018-03-15Q1810838005ND
2018-03-15Q1810838007ND
2019-04-02Q1913162001ND
2019-04-02Q1913162006ND
2019-04-02Q1913162009ND
2019-04-02Q1913162017ND
2019-04-02Q1913162020ND
2019-05-30Q1930236002ND
2019-05-30Q1930236010ND
2019-08-08Q1953061005ND
2019-10-24Q1973669004ND
2020-01-16Q2001732011ND
2020-01-16Q2001732013ND
2020-01-16Q2001732015ND
2020-01-16Q2001732017ND
2020-01-16Q2001732019ND
2020-01-16Q2001732021ND
2020-05-11Q2018213003ND
2020-05-11Q2018213005ND
2020-08-04Q2030357001ND
2020-12-15Q2049691001ND
2021-11-09Q2131343006ND
2021-11-09Q2131343015ND
2021-11-09Q2131343017ND
2021-11-09Q2131343019ND
2021-11-09Q2131343021ND
2021-11-09Q2131343023ND
2021-11-09Q2131343025ND
2022-06-21Q2217164006ND
2022-06-21Q2217164008ND
2022-10-13Q2231068004ND
2022-10-13Q2231068010ND
2022-10-13Q2231068008ND
2022-10-13Q2231068006ND
2022-10-13Q2231068002ND
2023-08-16Q2334321016ND
2023-08-16Q2334321018ND
2023-08-16Q2334321020ND
2023-11-06Q2347478007ND
2023-11-06Q2347478009ND
2023-11-06Q2347478011ND
2023-11-06Q2347478013ND