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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Vinyl chloride

Audubon Water Company

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

 

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 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
2014-01-131066988001ND
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
2015-03-1012517682ND
2015-03-1012517745ND
2015-03-1012517724ND
2015-03-1012517703ND
2015-03-1812517766ND
2015-03-1812517787ND
2015-03-1812517808ND
2015-03-2612635378ND
2015-06-0112751841ND
2015-06-0112751862ND
2015-06-0112751883ND
2015-06-0112751904ND
2015-06-0512884486ND
2015-09-1713266509ND
2015-09-1713266530ND
2015-09-1713266551ND
2015-09-1713266572ND
2015-09-2413266593ND
2015-10-1913391327ND
2015-11-1913515907ND
2015-11-1913515928ND
2015-11-1913515949ND
2015-11-1913515970ND
2015-11-1913515991ND
2016-02-0513872278ND
2016-02-0513872299ND
2016-02-0513872320ND
2016-02-0513872341ND
2016-03-1713988323ND
2016-04-0413988354ND
2016-04-0413988375ND
2016-04-0413988396ND
2016-04-0413988417ND
2016-04-1314105405ND
2016-04-1314105426ND
2016-04-2214572548ND
2016-04-2514572569ND
2016-09-1614910427ND
2016-09-1614910448ND
2016-09-1614910469ND
2016-09-1614910490ND
2016-09-2914910809ND
2016-10-0515078222ND
2016-10-0515078243ND
2016-10-0515078264ND
2016-10-0515078285ND
2016-10-0515078306ND
2016-12-0815374265ND
2017-01-1715519941ND
2017-02-1015657985ND
2017-02-1015658006ND
2017-02-1015658027ND
2017-02-1015658048ND
2017-02-1015658069ND
2017-02-2315658090ND
2017-05-0515940558ND
2017-05-0515940579ND
2017-05-0515940600ND
2017-05-0515940621ND
2017-09-1916729582ND
2017-09-1916729603ND
2017-09-1916729624ND
2017-09-1916729645ND
2017-09-2016729666ND
2017-09-2516729687ND
2017-10-0216729807ND
2017-10-0216729828ND
2017-10-0216729849ND
2017-10-0216729870ND
2017-10-0516882762ND
2017-10-1716882925ND
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