Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Sunchase Meadows

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-10-02Q1839402005ND
2018-10-02Q1839402001ND
2019-04-02Q1913217003ND
2019-04-02Q1913217013ND
2019-04-02Q1913217019ND
2019-08-06Q1951306003ND
2019-10-29Q1974367004ND
2020-01-28Q2003194003ND
2020-03-30Q2012921007ND
2020-03-30Q2012921009ND
2020-09-17Q2037205001ND
2020-10-07Q2039334001ND
2021-08-19Q2122573002ND
2021-08-19Q2122573004ND
2021-08-19Q2122573006ND
2021-10-21Q2129784001ND
2022-02-17Q2205934013ND
2022-02-17Q2205934015ND
2023-10-24Q2345789002ND
2023-10-24Q2345789004ND