Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Altoona Waterworks

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.

 

38

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.628 ppb54ND - 0.890 ppb
20190.298 ppb52ND - 0.870 ppb
2020ND80ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
20230.0936 ppb112ND - 0.540 ppb

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
2018-03-1210445590.740 ppb
2018-06-1910624570.890 ppb
2018-06-191062452ND
2018-09-1810813710.730 ppb
2018-12-1710978510.780 ppb
2019-03-1111087400.870 ppb
2019-06-181128839ND
2019-06-1811288440.620 ppb
2019-09-161148215ND
2019-12-091164494ND
2020-06-161193785ND
2020-06-161193782ND
2020-06-161193783ND
2020-06-161193784ND
2020-06-161193780ND
2020-06-161193781ND
2020-09-151214813ND
2020-12-151232451ND
2021-03-151243823ND
2021-03-151243823ND
2021-06-151259378ND
2021-09-071275724ND
2021-11-081288394ND
2022-01-191296685ND
2022-05-031311124ND
2022-09-211338361ND
2022-10-201345196ND
2023-01-25CB00795-02ND
2023-01-26CB00861-02ND
2023-02-08CB01247-01ND
2023-06-12CB06321-090.540 ppb
2023-07-31CB08782-06ND
2023-07-31CB08782-12ND
2023-07-31CB08782-03ND
2023-07-31CB08782-090.490 ppb
2023-08-01CB08877-06ND
2023-08-01CB08877-03ND
2023-11-07CB13662-01ND