Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Southwood Water System

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.

 

26

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND50ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND30ND
2022ND110ND
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
2018-03-14ND
2018-03-14ND
2018-05-04ND
2018-07-19ND
2019-06-26ND
2019-07-12ND
2019-07-12ND
2019-09-05ND
2019-10-15ND
2021-03-124166774ND
2021-03-124164633ND
2021-03-174205286ND
2022-01-264240241ND
2022-01-264240240ND
2022-01-264240242ND
2022-01-274240239ND
2022-02-044240245ND
2022-02-044240244ND
2022-10-114465087ND
2022-10-174370660ND
2022-10-314465043ND
2022-10-314464989ND
2022-11-144382866ND
2023-03-144437411ND
2023-03-144437441ND
2023-09-264532910ND