Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Altoona Waterworks

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.

 

38

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
20230.01000 ppb111ND - 0.110 ppb

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

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-121044559ND
2018-06-191062457ND
2018-06-191062452ND
2018-09-181081371ND
2018-12-171097851ND
2019-03-111108740ND
2019-06-181128839ND
2019-06-181128844ND
2019-09-161148215ND
2019-12-091164494ND
2020-06-161193784ND
2020-06-161193785ND
2020-06-161193781ND
2020-06-161193782ND
2020-06-161193783ND
2020-06-161193780ND
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
2023-06-12CB06321-09ND
2023-07-31CB08782-06ND
2023-07-31CB08782-09ND
2023-07-31CB08782-12ND
2023-07-31CB08782-03ND
2023-08-01CB08877-06ND
2023-08-01CB08877-03ND
2023-11-07CB13662-010.110 ppb