Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Sky Lakes Water Supply Corporation

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
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
2018-01-09AE08411ND
2018-01-09AE08351ND
2018-04-10AE21888ND
2018-07-31AE35102ND
2018-10-23AE44310ND
2019-02-27AE56273ND
2019-02-27AE56281ND
2019-05-01AE64373ND
2019-07-23AE75575ND
2019-10-31AE88166ND
2020-03-05AF01447ND
2020-03-05AF01449ND
2020-06-16AF15557ND
2020-07-29AF21397ND
2020-12-02AF36267ND
2021-03-10AF46288ND
2021-03-10AF46290ND
2021-06-16AF58379ND
2021-08-19AF67194ND
2021-10-19AF73965ND
2022-02-08AF83727ND
2022-02-08AF83731ND
2022-05-11AF96525ND
2022-09-13AG12684ND
2022-12-16AG22192ND
2023-01-25AG26252ND
2023-01-25AG26268ND
2023-05-10AG40015ND
2023-08-25AG54325ND
2023-11-02AG62193ND