Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Cedar Point

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
2018ND20ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-02-15AE14107ND
2018-03-28AE20642ND
2019-02-28AE56560ND
2019-02-28AE56596ND
2019-05-28AE68232ND
2020-02-18AE98742ND
2020-02-18AE98744ND
2020-06-08AF14416ND
2020-09-01AF26048ND
2020-11-05AF33500ND
2021-03-11AF46545ND
2021-03-11AF46547ND
2021-05-24AF55139ND
2021-09-13AF69548ND
2021-11-02AF75613ND
2022-01-31AF82593ND
2022-01-31AF82597ND
2022-04-19AF93661ND
2022-08-18AG10060ND
2022-12-20AG22382ND
2023-02-21AG29727ND
2023-02-21AG29729ND
2023-04-19AG37371ND
2023-09-06AG55147ND
2023-12-21AG67280ND