Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Clark Public Utilities

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND110ND
2019ND40ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND30ND
2022ND70ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-08-01ND
2018-08-01ND
2018-08-01ND
2018-08-01ND
2018-08-01ND
2018-08-28ND
2018-08-28ND
2018-09-18ND
2018-09-18ND
2018-09-18ND
2018-11-18ND
2019-02-24ND
2019-02-24ND
2019-07-22ND
2019-09-05ND
2021-06-304143007ND
2021-08-024169145ND
2021-08-024169136ND
2022-07-274328694ND
2022-07-284328695ND
2022-07-284328685ND
2022-07-284328702ND
2022-08-034328680ND
2022-08-034328682ND
2022-08-034328676ND
2023-05-234545879ND
2023-06-124473924ND
2023-06-124473920ND
2023-06-124473922ND
2023-06-124473923ND