Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Shorewood Hills 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.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

14

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.480 ppb220.450 ppb - 0.510 ppb
20190.323 ppb440.280 ppb - 0.360 ppb
20200.355 ppb220.340 ppb - 0.370 ppb
20210.330 ppb220.270 ppb - 0.390 ppb
20220.345 ppb220.310 ppb - 0.380 ppb
20231.39 ppb220.780 ppb - 2.00 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
2018-11-194203690010.450 ppb
2018-11-194203720010.510 ppb
2019-11-184817950010.320 ppb
2019-11-184818190010.360 ppb
2019-12-094848910010.280 ppb
2019-12-094848920010.330 ppb
2020-11-165361390010.340 ppb
2020-11-165361370010.370 ppb
2021-11-165947600010.270 ppb
2021-11-165947540010.390 ppb
2022-11-216541260010.310 ppb
2022-11-216541270010.380 ppb
2023-12-087138830010.780 ppb
2023-12-087138870012.00 ppb