Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

City of Chico

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-12-13Q1851676003ND
2018-12-13Q1851676006ND
2018-12-13Q1851676001ND
2019-01-08Q1900653001ND
2019-01-08Q1900653006ND
2019-01-08Q1900653010ND
2020-03-02Q2007727001ND
2020-06-01Q2021442001ND
2020-08-19Q2033209003ND
2020-08-19Q2033209001ND
2021-08-11Q2121372007ND
2021-08-11Q2121372009ND
2021-08-11Q2121372011ND
2022-09-08Q2226813001ND
2022-09-08Q2226813003ND
2022-09-08Q2226813005ND
2023-05-30Q2319948009ND
2023-05-30Q2319948011ND
2023-05-30Q2319948013ND