Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Bull Run Mountain/evergreen (brme)

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.

 

36

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND60ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND60ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND60ND

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
2018-07-18WE-1-1807VND
2018-07-18WB-7-1807VND
2018-07-18WB-5-1807VND
2018-07-18WB-13-1807VND
2018-07-18WB-11-1807VND
2018-07-18WB-12-1807VND
2019-10-28WB-12-1910VND
2019-10-28WB-11-1910VND
2019-10-28WE-1-1910VND
2019-10-28WB-7-1910VND
2019-10-28WB-5-1910VND
2019-10-28WB-13-1910VND
2020-02-24WB-11-2002VND
2020-02-24WB-12-2002VND
2020-02-24WB-13-2002VND
2020-02-24WB-5-2002VND
2020-02-24WB-7-2002VND
2020-02-24WE-1-2002VND
2021-04-2721042610-01VND
2021-04-2721042610-06VND
2021-04-2721042610-05VND
2021-04-2721042610-04VND
2021-04-2721042610-03VND
2021-04-2721042610-02VND
2022-07-2622-12667 VOCND
2022-07-2622-12668 VOCND
2022-07-2622-12669 VOCND
2022-07-2622-12670 VOCND
2022-09-2922092907-01-VOCND
2022-12-1322-21032 VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-01_VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-02_VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-03_VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-04_VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-05_VOCND
2023-10-2423102311-06_VOCND