Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

City of Chico

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit 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: 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, 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 benzene 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