Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Fouke Water Supply Corporation

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.

 

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
2020ND30ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-05-16Q1819991003ND
2018-05-16Q1819991006ND
2018-05-16Q1819991001ND
2019-06-06Q1932560012ND
2019-06-06Q1932560014ND
2019-06-06Q1932560016ND
2020-10-22Q2041268028ND
2020-10-22Q2041268030ND
2020-10-22Q2041268032ND
2021-01-25Q2101631005ND
2021-01-25Q2101631011ND
2021-01-25Q2101631009ND
2021-01-25Q2101631007ND
2022-10-12Q2230969006ND
2022-10-12Q2230969008ND
2022-10-12Q2230969010ND
2023-04-13Q2313726002ND
2023-07-11Q2326819004ND
2023-07-11Q2326819006ND