Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

San Jacinto Special Utility District

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

21

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-12AE17846ND
2018-03-12AE17880ND
2018-03-12AE17838ND
2019-03-13AE58223ND
2019-03-13AE58225ND
2019-03-13AE58227ND
2019-06-06AE69493ND
2019-08-01AE76824ND
2019-12-05AE91443ND
2020-01-22AE94690ND
2020-03-10AF01991ND
2020-03-10AF01997ND
2021-01-11AF38521ND
2021-01-11AF38523ND
2021-03-08AF45724ND
2022-01-24AF81297ND
2022-05-02AF95080ND
2022-05-02AF95082ND
2023-03-14AG32973ND
2023-03-14AG32981ND
2023-06-08AG43780ND