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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

City of Phoenix

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

97

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND140ND
2015ND30ND
2016ND20ND
2017ND240ND
2018ND270ND
2019ND270ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-01-064010287-01ND
2014-01-062013081234ND
2014-01-082013081395ND
2014-01-152014001541ND
2014-01-152014001126ND
2014-01-162014001412ND
2014-01-162014001140ND
2014-01-212014003201ND
2014-01-212014003186ND
2014-01-232014003220ND
2014-02-182014009513ND
2014-02-182014009413ND
2014-02-262014009696ND
2014-04-072014020061ND
2015-01-072014084197ND
2015-01-212015001870ND
2015-01-292015006468ND
2016-01-122016001462ND
2016-01-132016001686ND
2017-01-042016086858ND
2017-01-042016086879ND
2017-01-042016086891ND
2017-01-04201701040662VND
2017-01-042016087234ND
2017-01-052016087246ND
2017-01-102017001707ND
2017-01-102017001691ND
2017-01-112017001866ND
2017-01-112017001852ND
2017-01-172017002400ND
2017-01-182017002446ND
2017-01-182017002433ND
2017-01-252017004361ND
2017-01-252017004347ND
2017-02-012017006547ND
2017-02-082017008750ND
2017-02-222017012582ND
2017-03-222017020011ND
2017-04-122017028332ND
2017-04-272017031739VOCND
2017-04-272017031726VOCND
2017-07-19201707250776VND
2017-10-102017077918ND
2018-01-02201801040403VND
2018-01-02201801040400VND
2018-01-03201801040405VND
2018-01-03201801030337VND
2018-01-04201801040407VND
2018-01-04201801040408VND
2018-01-08201801100473VND
2018-01-08201801100471VND
2018-01-09201801100475VND
2018-01-102018001274ND
2018-01-102018001266ND
2018-01-112018001314ND
2018-01-162018002916ND
2018-01-162018002910ND
2018-01-182018002983ND
2018-01-182018002989ND
2018-01-182018004208ND
2018-01-242018003831ND
2018-01-242018003825ND
2018-01-252018005657ND
2018-04-032018021545ND
2018-04-262018025995ND
2018-05-092018031007ND
2018-07-192018048399ND
2018-07-262018050957ND
2018-10-022018067812ND
2018-10-252018073815ND
2019-01-022018089146ND
2019-01-022018090025ND
2019-01-02201901020376VND
2019-01-032018089649ND
2019-01-032018089606ND
2019-01-032018089395ND
2019-01-032018089394ND
2019-01-082019000561ND
2019-01-082019000555ND
2019-01-092019000575ND
2019-01-092019000567ND
2019-01-102019000853ND
2019-01-152019002348ND
2019-01-152019002353ND
2019-01-162019002383ND
2019-01-162019002369ND
2019-01-172019002091ND
2019-01-172019002085ND
2019-01-232019004515ND
2019-01-232019004510ND
2019-01-242019004845ND
2019-01-292019005826ND
2019-02-072019006450ND
2019-04-242019029611ND
2019-05-142019034765ND
2019-07-252019052898ND
2019-11-052019082069ND