Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

City of West Richland

NOTE: City of West Richland purchases water from City of Richland which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Richland.

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

42

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND10ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND110ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND50ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: City of West Richland purchases water from City of Richland which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Richland.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-07-05ND
2019-03-08ND
2019-04-11ND
2019-05-09ND
2019-06-06ND
2019-07-11ND
2019-08-08ND
2019-09-12ND
2019-09-18ND
2019-10-10ND
2019-11-07ND
2019-12-12ND
2019-12-13ND
2021-01-214070629ND
2021-02-124076883ND
2021-03-114087469ND
2021-05-184118749ND
2021-05-184118748ND
2021-07-084142812ND
2021-08-194169230ND
2021-09-094178932ND
2021-10-134194903ND
2021-11-174208636ND
2021-12-084216629ND
2022-01-124233604ND
2022-02-094241715ND
2022-03-094258463ND
2022-04-144272582ND
2022-05-114279794ND
2022-06-084296744ND
2022-07-134315945ND
2022-08-104330297ND
2022-09-144365601ND
2022-10-134361675ND
2022-10-134361676ND
2022-11-094381443ND
2022-12-144392465ND
2023-01-114399229ND
2023-03-084426940ND
2023-04-124443144ND
2023-05-104452809ND
2023-06-204482853ND