Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

San Diego Municipal Utility District 1

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-12AE13322ND
2018-06-04AE28555ND
2019-02-11AE53819ND
2019-05-06AE64908ND
2020-06-04AF14192ND
2020-06-04AF14196ND
2021-06-07AF57519ND
2021-07-22AF63070ND
2021-11-29AF77508ND
2021-11-29AF77520ND
2022-01-20AF80982ND
2022-01-20AF81002ND
2023-02-22AG29940ND
2023-04-24AG37704ND
2023-07-24AG49832ND
2023-11-15AG63792ND