Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Ethylbenzene

Tinker AFB Bio-env Eng

Ethylbenzene, a component of petroleum, is a volatile cancer-causing chemical primarily used for production of plastics and rubber. Ethylbenzene is also released from gasoline fuel emissions. Read More.

In animal studies, exposure to ethylbenzene causes tumors. Ethylbenzene can also damage lungs, liver, kidneys and the nervous system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylbenzene as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

 

57

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
2014ND110ND
2015ND120ND
2016ND40ND
2017ND50ND
2018ND60ND
2019ND190ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 300 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 300 ppb for ethylbenzene 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 harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 700 ppb

The legal limit for ethylbenzene, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1950s.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-30039153.002ND
2014-01-30039153.001ND
2014-03-20039965.003ND
2014-03-20039965.001ND
2014-03-21039965.004ND
2014-05-06042429.002ND
2014-05-06042429.001ND
2014-07-31046021.002ND
2014-07-31046021.001ND
2014-10-30049863.002ND
2014-10-30049863.001ND
2015-01-15052468.001ND
2015-01-15052468.002ND
2015-01-15052468.003ND
2015-07-01055400.001ND
2015-07-02055400.002ND
2015-07-23060048.002ND
2015-07-23060048.001ND
2015-10-28064471.003ND
2015-10-28064471.002ND
2015-10-28064471.001ND
2015-10-28064410.002ND
2015-10-28064410.001ND
2016-03-10068221.001ND
2016-06-23SDWA-1043353-00ND
2016-09-23SDWA-1051151-00ND
2016-09-23SDWA-1051143-00ND
2017-06-017F01005-01ND
2017-06-297F29008-02ND
2017-06-297F29008-01ND
2017-10-057J05006-01ND
2017-11-017K01052-01ND
2018-04-26AD26008-03ND
2018-04-26AD26008-01ND
2018-07-10AG10117-03ND
2018-07-10AG10117-01ND
2018-07-12AG12032-01ND
2018-07-24AG24046-05ND
2019-02-05BB05016-02ND
2019-05-07BE07024-01ND
2019-07-30BG30007-04ND
2019-07-30BG30007-03ND
2019-09-25BI25039-09ND
2019-09-25BI25039-02ND
2019-09-25BI25039-03ND
2019-09-25BI25039-04ND
2019-09-25BI25039-05ND
2019-09-25BI25039-06ND
2019-09-25BI25039-07ND
2019-09-25BI25039-08ND
2019-11-20BK20074-02ND
2019-11-20BK20074-10ND
2019-11-20BK20074-08ND
2019-11-20BK20074-07RE1ND
2019-11-20BK20074-06ND
2019-11-20BK20074-05ND
2019-11-20BK20074-03ND