Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

City of Alba

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.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-03-12Q1809883004ND
2018-03-12Q1809883010ND
2018-09-18Q1837028001ND
2019-10-07Q1971344006ND
2019-10-07Q1971344008ND
2020-04-01Q2013273007ND
2020-04-01Q2013273009ND
2021-06-30Q2117218008ND
2021-06-30Q2117218010ND
2021-06-30Q2117218012ND
2022-05-25Q2215156001ND
2022-05-25Q2215156011ND
2023-06-22Q2323976002ND
2023-06-22Q2323976004ND