Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Ethylbenzene

City of Center

Ethylbenzene, a component of petroleum, is a volatile cancer-causing chemical primarily used for production of plastics and rubber. Ethylbenzene is also released from gasoline fuel emissions. Read More.

In animal studies, exposure to ethylbenzene causes tumors. Ethylbenzene can also damage lungs, liver, kidneys and the nervous system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylbenzene as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 300 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 300 ppb for ethylbenzene 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 harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 700 ppb

The legal limit for ethylbenzene, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1950s.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-04-30Q1817448004ND
2018-08-27Q1834372003ND
2019-05-15Q1925671003ND
2019-07-17Q1946117001ND
2020-03-10Q2009082002ND
2020-08-06Q2031207001ND
2021-06-01Q2114029001ND
2021-09-02Q2123959007ND
2022-03-08Q2207771009ND
2022-08-11Q2223337003ND
2023-02-08Q2304971002ND
2023-07-20Q2328770002ND