Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Town of Annetta Deer Creek

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.

 

50

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND70ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND90ND
2021ND110ND
2022ND80ND
2023ND80ND

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
2018-08-06Q1830996007ND
2018-08-06Q1830996002ND
2018-08-06Q1830996012ND
2018-08-06Q1830996009ND
2018-12-03Q1849051001ND
2018-12-03Q1849051006ND
2018-12-03Q1849051007ND
2019-06-03Q1930677005ND
2019-06-03Q1930677007ND
2019-06-03Q1930677009ND
2019-06-03Q1930677011ND
2019-06-03Q1930677013ND
2019-06-03Q1930677015ND
2019-06-03Q1930677017ND
2020-01-30Q2003934003ND
2020-04-21Q2015803014ND
2020-04-21Q2015803016ND
2020-04-21Q2015803018ND
2020-04-21Q2015803020ND
2020-04-21Q2015803022ND
2020-04-21Q2015803024ND
2020-08-27Q2034434007ND
2020-10-14Q2040327003ND
2021-02-01Q2102857014ND
2021-02-01Q2102857012ND
2021-02-01Q2102857008ND
2021-02-01Q2102857006ND
2021-02-01Q2102857004ND
2021-02-01Q2102857010ND
2021-04-22Q2110415004ND
2021-04-22Q2110415008ND
2021-05-24Q2113349001ND
2021-05-24Q2113349003ND
2021-08-10Q2121189001ND
2022-02-07Q2204015003ND
2022-03-10Q2208362003ND
2022-03-10Q2208362005ND
2022-03-10Q2208362007ND
2022-11-17Q2234711008ND
2022-11-17Q2234711014ND
2022-11-17Q2234711012ND
2022-11-17Q2234711010ND
2023-11-08Q2348107011ND
2023-11-08Q2348107013ND
2023-11-08Q2348107015ND
2023-11-08Q2348107017ND
2023-11-08Q2348107019ND
2023-11-08Q2348107021ND
2023-11-08Q2348107055ND
2023-11-08Q2348107057ND