Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

City of Chandler

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.

 

29

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-05-31Q1821776006ND
2018-05-31Q1821776002ND
2018-10-15Q1840931002ND
2018-10-15Q1840931004ND
2018-10-15Q1840931006ND
2019-03-19Q1911348006ND
2019-03-19Q1911348009ND
2019-03-19Q1911348011ND
2019-03-19Q1911348012ND
2019-09-11Q1963871003ND
2020-03-24Q2012436007ND
2020-03-24Q2012436009ND
2020-03-24Q2012436011ND
2020-06-23Q2025085009ND
2021-05-04Q2111316005ND
2021-05-04Q2111316011ND
2021-05-04Q2111316009ND
2021-05-04Q2111316007ND
2021-12-15Q2135508002ND
2022-03-31Q2210090007ND
2022-03-31Q2210090009ND
2022-03-31Q2210090011ND
2022-03-31Q2210090013ND
2022-03-31Q2210090015ND
2023-01-12Q2301951016ND
2023-01-12Q2301951018ND
2023-01-12Q2301951020ND
2023-10-02Q2342088004ND
2023-10-02Q2342088006ND