Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Patton Village West Water System

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND70ND

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
2018-09-19AE40721ND
2019-12-02AE90828ND
2020-07-30AF21391ND
2020-07-30AF21395ND
2020-07-30AF21433ND
2020-07-30AF21435ND
2020-10-05AF29481ND
2020-10-05AF29483ND
2020-10-05AF29485ND
2021-01-12AF38828ND
2021-01-12AF38834ND
2021-05-07AF52999ND
2022-06-06AF99677ND
2022-06-06AF99679ND
2022-08-10AG08612ND
2022-08-10AG08614ND
2022-10-18AG17490ND
2022-12-05AG20720ND
2023-01-10AG23727ND
2023-01-10AG23741ND
2023-01-10AG23747ND
2023-04-03AG35153ND
2023-05-10AG40025ND
2023-07-14AG48828ND
2023-10-26AG61269ND