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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

Audubon Water Company

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

 

138

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND220ND
2015ND240ND
2016ND240ND
2017ND230ND
2018ND230ND
2019ND220ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-01-131066988001ND
2014-01-131066988002ND
2014-01-131066988003ND
2014-02-271073775001ND
2014-04-021079479001ND
2014-04-021079479002ND
2014-04-021079479004ND
2014-04-021079479003ND
2014-04-232003262001ND
2014-04-232003262002ND
2014-08-282026276001ND
2014-08-282026276002ND
2014-08-282026276003ND
2014-09-092028135001ND
2014-09-092028135002ND
2014-09-092028135003ND
2014-10-062032858001ND
2014-10-062032858002ND
2014-10-062032858003ND
2014-10-062032858004ND
2014-11-062038813001ND
2014-11-062038814001ND
2015-03-1012517673ND
2015-03-1012517736ND
2015-03-1012517715ND
2015-03-1012517694ND
2015-03-1812517757ND
2015-03-1812517778ND
2015-03-1812517799ND
2015-03-2612635369ND
2015-06-0112751832ND
2015-06-0112751853ND
2015-06-0112751874ND
2015-06-0112751895ND
2015-06-0512884477ND
2015-09-1713266500ND
2015-09-1713266521ND
2015-09-1713266542ND
2015-09-1713266563ND
2015-09-2413266584ND
2015-10-1913391318ND
2015-11-1913515898ND
2015-11-1913515919ND
2015-11-1913515940ND
2015-11-1913515961ND
2015-11-1913515982ND
2016-02-0513872269ND
2016-02-0513872290ND
2016-02-0513872311ND
2016-02-0513872332ND
2016-03-1713988314ND
2016-04-0413988345ND
2016-04-0413988366ND
2016-04-0413988387ND
2016-04-0413988408ND
2016-04-1314105396ND
2016-04-1314105417ND
2016-04-2214572539ND
2016-04-2514572560ND
2016-09-1614910418ND
2016-09-1614910439ND
2016-09-1614910460ND
2016-09-1614910481ND
2016-09-2914910800ND
2016-10-0515078213ND
2016-10-0515078234ND
2016-10-0515078255ND
2016-10-0515078276ND
2016-10-0515078297ND
2016-12-0815374256ND
2017-01-1715519932ND
2017-02-1015657976ND
2017-02-1015657997ND
2017-02-1015658018ND
2017-02-1015658039ND
2017-02-1015658060ND
2017-02-2315658081ND
2017-05-0515940549ND
2017-05-0515940570ND
2017-05-0515940591ND
2017-05-0515940612ND
2017-09-1916729573ND
2017-09-1916729594ND
2017-09-1916729615ND
2017-09-1916729636ND
2017-09-2016729657ND
2017-09-2516729678ND
2017-10-0216729798ND
2017-10-0216729819ND
2017-10-0216729840ND
2017-10-0216729861ND
2017-10-0516882753ND
2017-10-1716882916ND
2018-03-022299268001ND
2018-03-022299268002ND
2018-03-022299268003ND
2018-03-022299268004ND
2018-03-282305330001ND
2018-04-012306020001ND
2018-04-022306020002ND
2018-04-022306020003ND
2018-04-022306020004ND
2018-04-022306020005ND
2018-09-172338753001ND
2018-09-172338753002ND
2018-09-172338753003ND
2018-09-172338753004ND
2018-09-172338753005ND
2018-09-182339343001ND
2018-09-202339702001ND
2018-09-212340025001ND
2018-10-012341512001ND
2018-10-012341512002ND
2018-10-012341512003ND
2018-10-012341512004ND
2018-10-242346425001ND
2019-03-223023817002ND
2019-03-223023817001ND
2019-03-223023817005ND
2019-03-223023817003ND
2019-03-223023817006ND
2019-03-223023817004ND
2019-04-103027288001ND
2019-04-103027288003ND
2019-04-103027288005ND
2019-04-103027288007ND
2019-04-243029820001ND
2019-07-253047779001ND
2019-07-253047779003ND
2019-07-253047779005ND
2019-07-253047779007ND
2019-08-053049543001ND
2019-10-163064410005ND
2019-10-163064409001ND
2019-10-163064410001ND
2019-10-163064410003ND
2019-10-163064410007ND
2019-10-223065363001ND