Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Carbon tetrachloride

Altoona Waterworks

Carbon tetrachloride, a volatile carcinogenic solvent, has been used in industrial chemical production and as a dry cleaning ingredient. Read More.

Carbon tetrachloride is no longer permitted in products intended for home use in the U.S. In the past, it was widely used as a dry cleaning ingredient, fire extinguishing chemical, pesticide and chemical intermediate for manufacturing refrigerants. Carbon tetrachloride does not break down easily and can remain in groundwater for years. In addition to increasing cancer risk, carbon tetrachloride harms the liver and causes central nervous system depression, irregular heart rate, and kidney damage. Maternal exposure to carbon tetrachloride in drinking water has been associated with a risk of birth defects.

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
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020ND80ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND110ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for carbon tetrachloride 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 carbon tetrachloride, established in 1987, 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 carbon tetrachloride 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
2020-06-161193785ND
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
2023-06-12CB06321-09ND
2023-07-31CB08782-06ND
2023-07-31CB08782-09ND
2023-07-31CB08782-12ND
2023-07-31CB08782-03ND
2023-08-01CB08877-06ND
2023-08-01CB08877-03ND
2023-11-07CB13662-01ND