Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

City of Whitewright

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.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
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
2018-03-29Q1813091003ND
2018-03-29Q1813091006ND
2018-03-29Q1813091002ND
2019-09-03Q1961236001ND
2019-09-03Q1961236003ND
2019-09-03Q1961236005ND
2020-10-14Q2040302007ND
2020-10-14Q2040302009ND
2020-10-14Q2040302011ND
2021-09-28Q2126457001ND
2021-09-28Q2126457011ND
2021-09-28Q2126457003ND
2022-06-13Q2216370008ND
2022-06-13Q2216370010ND
2022-10-19Q2231828001ND
2023-07-25Q2329473005ND
2023-07-25Q2329473019ND
2023-07-25Q2329473024ND