Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Christian Life Center

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

16

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
20190.270 ppb21ND - 0.540 ppb
20200.740 ppb440.690 ppb - 0.870 ppb
20210.628 ppb43ND - 0.880 ppb
20220.903 ppb440.850 ppb - 0.990 ppb
20230.805 ppb440.750 ppb - 0.880 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-21Q1811503001ND
2019-01-17Q1902677003ND
2019-12-16Q19800800010.540 ppb
2020-03-11Q20103090010.700 ppb
2020-06-09Q20231280010.690 ppb
2020-08-12Q20321500010.700 ppb
2020-11-16Q20448830010.870 ppb
2021-02-23Q2104566001ND
2021-06-03Q21144400010.810 ppb
2021-08-30Q21234940010.880 ppb
2021-12-01Q21331910020.820 ppb
2022-03-15Q22087670020.880 ppb
2022-04-28Q22128140050.850 ppb
2022-08-24Q22251690010.890 ppb
2022-12-14Q22378480010.990 ppb
2023-02-15Q23062870010.750 ppb
2023-04-25Q23155290020.880 ppb
2023-07-26Q23298220010.780 ppb
2023-12-06Q23521540020.810 ppb