Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Walnut Grove Utilities

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.

 

71

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND120ND
2020ND90ND
2021ND130ND
2022ND180ND
2023ND140ND

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
2018-03-07282520-2018-DWND
2018-06-06287632-2018-DWND
2018-08-15292292-2018-DWVND
2018-08-15292293-2018-DWVND
2018-10-16295667-2018-DWVND
2019-02-26301436-2019-DWVND
2019-02-26301437-2019-DWND
2019-03-05301698-2019-DWVND
2019-03-05301699-2019-DWND
2019-03-12302098-2019-DWND
2019-03-12302099-2019-DWAND
2019-03-12302100-2019-DWVND
2019-04-02303159-2019-DWVND
2019-04-09303654-2019-DWND
2019-08-13310365-2019DWND
2019-12-03317113-2019-DWND
2019-12-04317121-2019-DWAND
2020-03-12321782-2020-DWVND
2020-03-12321782-2020-DWVND
2020-03-18322191-2020-DWVND
2020-06-11326414-2020-DWVND
2020-06-11326413-2020-DWND
2020-08-24331119-2020-DWND
2020-08-24331118-2020-DWND
2020-11-17335914-2020-DWVND
2020-11-24336266-2020-DWND
2021-03-187364282001VND
2021-03-187364280001ND
2021-04-227368589001ND
2021-05-137371332001VND
2021-07-217380944003AND
2021-08-121085142-01ND
2021-08-167384685001VND
2021-09-077387721001AND
2021-12-21810-11091-2ND
2021-12-21810-11047-1ND
2021-12-21810-11087-1ND
2021-12-21810-11089-1ND
2021-12-21810-11091-1ND
2022-03-08810-17576-1ND
2022-03-08810-17508-1ND
2022-03-08810-17505-1ND
2022-03-08810-17573-1ND
2022-03-09FWC0111CND
2022-03-09810-18451-1ND
2022-03-14FWC0176-01VND
2022-03-23810-18980-1ND
2022-05-16FWF0001-01CND
2022-05-16FWE0091-01ND
2022-05-16FWE0082-01BND
2022-05-23FWE0088ND
2022-07-11FWG0325AND
2022-07-11FWG0324ND
2022-07-11FWG0306ND
2022-10-26FWJ0181-01ND
2022-11-14FWJ0184ND
2022-11-15FWJ0191ND
2023-02-07FXB0061-01ND
2023-02-07FXB0070-01ND
2023-02-09FXB0077-01ND
2023-04-04FXC0510ND
2023-04-04FXC0539-01ND
2023-04-05FXC0546-01ND
2023-04-05FXC0561-01ND
2023-04-06FXC0504-01ND
2023-04-06FXD0264-01ND
2023-08-02FXF0580-01ND
2023-08-07FXH0354ND
2023-08-07FXH0356-01ND
2023-11-1468354501ND
2023-11-1468354601ND