Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Altoona 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.

 

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: 0.06 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
2018-03-121044559ND
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