Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Westwood Beach

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.

 

23

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
2021ND70ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-10-10Q1840455006ND
2018-10-10Q1840455012ND
2018-10-10Q1840455005ND
2019-06-13Q1935800008ND
2019-06-13Q1935800010ND
2019-06-13Q1935800012ND
2020-05-14Q2019532007ND
2020-05-14Q2019532009ND
2020-05-14Q2019532011ND
2021-05-13Q2112500012ND
2021-05-13Q2112500010ND
2021-05-13Q2112500001ND
2021-07-20Q2118896001ND
2021-07-20Q2118896003ND
2021-12-15Q2135518001ND
2021-12-15Q2135518003ND
2022-07-26Q2221164001ND
2022-07-26Q2221164003ND
2022-07-26Q2221164005ND
2022-12-05Q2236047001ND
2023-02-28Q2307933002ND
2023-10-02Q2342089004ND
2023-10-02Q2342089006ND