Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

New Lisbon 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.

 

35

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

24

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.571 ppb84ND - 1.50 ppb
20191.22 ppb54ND - 1.60 ppb
20200.940 ppb53ND - 1.90 ppb
20211.85 ppb65ND - 2.60 ppb
20222.68 ppb54ND - 3.80 ppb
20232.20 ppb64ND - 4.20 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
2018-03-13989351ND
2018-03-219921441.50 ppb
2018-04-111045171.20 ppb
2018-04-11104518ND
2018-07-18151823ND
2018-07-181518250.870 ppb
2018-10-10192848ND
2018-10-101928511.000 ppb
2019-03-27257539ND
2019-03-272575041.30 ppb
2019-06-192954661.60 ppb
2019-08-073136111.60 ppb
2019-12-033665721.60 ppb
2020-05-20421987ND
2020-05-20421989ND
2020-05-204219881.70 ppb
2020-08-264666141.90 ppb
2020-12-025105281.10 ppb
2021-03-175427332.00 ppb
2021-03-175427332.00 ppb
2021-05-1210054532.00 ppb
2021-07-281031721ND
2021-07-2810317222.60 ppb
2021-10-2710668772.50 ppb
2022-02-1611014833.10 ppb
2022-06-2211565623.80 ppb
2022-08-161214111ND
2022-08-1612141103.00 ppb
2022-11-1612648993.50 ppb
2023-02-081288229ND
2023-02-081288227ND
2023-02-0812882284.20 ppb
2023-05-3113300793.20 ppb
2023-07-1913504232.90 ppb
2023-11-2814017382.90 ppb