Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Bois D Arc Municipal Utility District

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.

 

23

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
2021ND100ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-11-05Q1844067005ND
2018-11-05Q1844067003ND
2019-09-04Q1962033001ND
2019-09-04Q1962033003ND
2020-10-28Q2041654010ND
2020-10-28Q2041654012ND
2021-01-26Q2101873003ND
2021-06-23Q2116468008ND
2021-06-23Q2116468010ND
2021-06-30Q2117217001ND
2021-09-28Q2126459003ND
2021-09-28Q2126459005ND
2021-09-28Q2126459001ND
2021-11-29Q2133550003ND
2021-11-29Q2133550008ND
2021-11-29Q2133550010ND
2022-07-05Q2218601001ND
2022-07-05Q2218601003ND
2022-07-05Q2218601005ND
2022-11-22Q2235115001ND
2023-02-09Q2305165002ND
2023-06-27Q2324655005ND
2023-06-27Q2324655007ND