Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

City of Hallettsville

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

8

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.333 ppb31ND - 1.000 ppb
20190.300 ppb31ND - 0.900 ppb
20200.300 ppb31ND - 0.900 ppb
20210.640 ppb53ND - 1.20 ppb
20220.367 ppb31ND - 1.10 ppb
20230.357 ppb31ND - 1.07 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-19AE40773ND
2018-09-19AE40775ND
2018-09-19AE407591.000 ppb
2019-08-22AE802400.900 ppb
2019-08-22AE80242ND
2019-08-22AE80246ND
2020-05-19AF117530.900 ppb
2020-05-19AF11755ND
2020-05-19AF11757ND
2021-06-10AF574931.20 ppb
2021-06-10AF57525ND
2021-06-10AF57491ND
2021-07-27AF634501.000 ppb
2021-11-03AF755931.000 ppb
2022-08-04AG078691.10 ppb
2022-08-04AG07873ND
2022-08-04AG07875ND
2023-03-06Q23098100011.07 ppb
2023-03-06Q2309810003ND
2023-03-06Q2309810005ND