Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home Skin Deep Database Healthy Living App EWG Verified Open menu

EWG’s Tap
Water Database
Water Contamination Water Filter Guide Consumer Resources News & Insights
TAKE ACTION

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Moorestown Water Department

Methylene chloride is a common industrial solvent used for paint stripping, vapor degreasing, printing, electronics manufacturing and cleaning. It causes cancer and liver damage in animal studies. Read More.

Surface and groundwater can be contaminated with methylene chloride from industrial releases and landfill leaching. The EPA considers methylene chloride likely carcinogenic to people. Long-term ingestion of drinking water with methylene chloride contamination can cause liver damage and cancer. Occupational exposure to methylene chloride and other solvents has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage. Birth defects have also been observed in studies of laboratory animals exposed to methylene chloride during pregnancy.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

77

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND290ND
2021ND190ND
2022ND110ND
20230.126 ppb122ND - 0.830 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 4 ppb for dichloromethane (methylene 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): 5 ppb

The legal limit for dichloromethane, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-143874709ND
2018-05-30L7009542-1ND
2018-08-29L7041109-1ND
2018-11-14L7071748-1ND
2019-05-08L7111456-2ND
2019-08-14L7134326-2ND
2020-03-183092947001ND
2020-09-033126345002ND
2020-09-033126345001ND
2020-09-163128775011ND
2020-09-163128775004ND
2020-09-163128775001ND
2020-09-163128775008ND
2020-09-223129919001ND
2020-09-223129919004ND
2020-09-233130318001ND
2020-09-293131375001ND
2020-09-293131375002ND
2020-10-063132544004ND
2020-10-063132546001ND
2020-10-063132544001ND
2020-10-133134361001ND
2020-10-133134345001ND
2020-10-143134653001ND
2020-10-273137109001ND
2020-10-273137109004ND
2020-11-103140033003ND
2020-11-103140033001AND
2020-11-103140033001ND
2020-11-243142812001ND
2020-11-243142812003ND
2020-12-083145431001ND
2020-12-083145431003ND
2020-12-223148223001ND
2020-12-223148223003ND
2021-01-053150186001ND
2021-01-053150186002ND
2021-01-263154437004ND
2021-01-263154437001ND
2021-02-103157411001ND
2021-02-103157411004ND
2021-03-103162851001ND
2021-03-103162851001RND
2021-03-103162851002ND
2021-04-213171063001ND
2021-04-213171057001ND
2021-04-213171057005ND
2021-05-253178049001ND
2021-08-183196046001ND
2021-08-183196046005ND
2021-08-253197609001ND
2021-10-203207699001ND
2021-10-203207698001ND
2021-10-263208622001ND
2022-02-023225455001ND
2022-03-163232701001ND
2022-04-263239471004ND
2022-04-263239471001ND
2022-05-243244329001ND
2022-08-033256568001ND
2022-08-033256568004ND
2022-08-033256568007ND
2022-12-083277899001ND
2022-12-083277898001ND
2022-12-083277898002ND
2023-01-3132856080010.830 ppb
2023-01-3132856080040.680 ppb
2023-04-263300071001ND
2023-04-263300071005ND
2023-06-143308205001ND
2023-09-193324043001ND
2023-09-193324029001ND
2023-09-193324042001ND
2023-09-193324042007ND
2023-11-213334058001ND
2023-11-213334057001ND
2023-11-213334057004ND