Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of Chandler

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

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: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, established in 1987, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to vinyl chloride exposure.

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