Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Maple Bluff Waterworks

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

14

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
20190.360 ppb220.320 ppb - 0.400 ppb
20200.475 ppb220.360 ppb - 0.590 ppb
20210.955 ppb220.910 ppb - 1.000 ppb
20221.16 ppb550.990 ppb - 1.30 ppb
20230.723 ppb330.520 ppb - 0.920 ppb

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
2018-08-02398373001ND
2018-08-02398375001ND
2019-08-014608570010.320 ppb
2019-08-014608560010.400 ppb
2020-08-105189940010.360 ppb
2020-08-105189950010.590 ppb
2021-09-215850010010.910 ppb
2021-09-215850000011.000 ppb
2022-02-076046080010.990 ppb
2022-04-136138910011.20 ppb
2022-08-086353770011.20 ppb
2022-08-086353760011.30 ppb
2022-10-176487390011.10 ppb
2023-08-016920240010.730 ppb
2023-08-016920270010.920 ppb
2023-10-247076220010.520 ppb