Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Honaker, Town of

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.

 

27

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.800 ppb62ND - 3.60 ppb
2019ND40ND
20200.450 ppb41ND - 1.80 ppb
2021ND40ND
20220.275 ppb41ND - 1.10 ppb
2023ND50ND

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
2018-04-23E180307252ND
2018-08-22E180700419ND
2018-12-19E1810016651.20 ppb
2018-12-27E181206857ND
2018-12-27E181206858ND
2018-12-27E1812068593.60 ppb
2019-04-08E190308185ND
2019-08-21E190607897ND
2019-11-13E191004918ND
2019-11-13E191004917ND
2020-06-29E2003050551.80 ppb
2020-07-28E200609584ND
2020-10-14E200905550ND
2020-10-14E200905537ND
2021-07-21E210608121ND
2021-10-12E211001126ND
2021-10-12E211001127ND
2021-12-13E211200845ND
2022-07-19E220609531ND
2022-10-11E221000058ND
2022-10-11E2210000541.10 ppb
2022-10-11E221000052ND
2023-08-14E230705158ND
2023-09-12E230900046ND
2023-09-12E230900047ND
2023-09-12E230900048ND
2023-10-03E230907423ND