Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Foxbane Combined Ws

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.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-06-19Q1824692011ND
2018-06-19Q1824692012ND
2018-06-19Q1824692002ND
2018-12-13Q1851540002ND
2019-07-09Q1942896001ND
2019-07-09Q1942896003ND
2019-07-09Q1942896005ND
2019-07-09Q1942896007ND
2020-12-17Q2050032010ND
2020-12-17Q2050032012ND
2020-12-17Q2050032008ND
2021-08-04Q2120481005ND
2021-08-04Q2120481007ND
2022-10-26Q2232465006ND
2022-10-26Q2232465008ND
2022-10-26Q2232465012ND
2023-05-30Q2319950003ND
2023-05-30Q2319950005ND
2023-05-30Q2319950007ND