Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

City of Moses Lake

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a pesticide fumigant banned in the 1970s after scientists discovered it caused sterility in men who worked with it. The chemical causes cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in people. Read More.

This pesticide breaks down very slowly in the environment. It remains in groundwater and drinking water wells in the agricultural areas where it was sprayed in the past. Men exposed to this pesticide in the fields suffered from infertility and testicular damage, and tended to have fewer male babies.

 

34

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND70ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND60ND
2022ND160ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.0017 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0017 ppb for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 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): 0.2 ppb

The legal limit for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 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 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-31ND
2018-04-03ND
2018-06-28ND
2018-09-11ND
2018-11-06ND
2019-03-26ND
2019-07-09ND
2019-07-29ND
2019-10-01ND
2019-11-12ND
2019-11-12ND
2019-12-03ND
2021-01-114063010ND
2021-06-144130306ND
2021-07-274149446ND
2021-09-014178894ND
2021-10-064188764ND
2021-11-084203458ND
2022-03-104258470ND
2022-03-104258471ND
2022-03-104258475ND
2022-03-154258473ND
2022-03-224266306ND
2022-03-224266304ND
2022-03-224266303ND
2022-03-224266301ND
2022-03-224263834ND
2022-03-224266305ND
2022-03-224266307ND
2022-03-224266302ND
2022-03-224266308ND
2022-04-184274610ND
2022-06-064298852ND
2022-06-134298844ND