1,4-Dioxane
Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority
1,4-Dioxane is a solvent classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen. It contaminates groundwater in many states due to industrial wastewater discharges, plastic manufacturing runoff and landfill runoff. Read More.
Animal studies show that 1,4-dioxane can target the liver, kidneys and respiratory system, and that prenatal exposure can harm the developing fetus. The State of California has set a Public Heatlh Goal of no more than 1 part per billion of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. The state of Massachusetts sets a legal limit of 0.3 ppb, and New Hampshire's limit is 3 parts per billion. There is no national drinking water standard for this contaminant.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2015 | 0.0101 ppb | 34 | 3 | ND - 0.170 ppb |
| 2016 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
ppb = parts per billion
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 ppb for 1,4-dioxane was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.
ppb = parts per billion
All test results
| Date | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-02-12 | 00115 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00108 022015 | 0.170 ppb |
| 2015-02-12 | 00111 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00109 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00106 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00114 022015 | 0.0730 ppb |
| 2015-02-12 | 00113 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00107 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00110 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-12 | 00112 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00101 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00104 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00105 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00102 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00103 022015 | ND |
| 2015-02-18 | 00010 022015 | ND |
| 2015-05-12 | 00010 072015 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 0010 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00102 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00010 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00103 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00104 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00114 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00115 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00112 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-18 | 00113 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00108 0815 | 0.1000 ppb |
| 2015-08-25 | 00109 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00105 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00106 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00107 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00110 0815 | ND |
| 2015-08-25 | 00111 0815 | ND |
| 2015-11-17 | 00010 1115 | ND |