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Drinking Water Contaminants- Vinyl chloride |
| This is a factsheet about a chemical that may be found in some public or private drinking water supplies. It may cause health problems if found in amounts greater than the health standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What is Vinyl Chloride and how is it used? Vinyl chloride is a colorless organic gas with a sweet odor. It is used in the manufacture of numerous products in building and construction, automotive industry, electrical wire insulation and cables, piping, industrial and household equipment, medical supplies, and is depended upon heavily by the rubber, paper, and glass industries. The list of trade names given below may help you find out whether you are using this chemical at home or work. Trade Names and Synonyms: Chlorethene Why is Vinyl Chloride being Regulated?
In 1974, Congress passed
the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine safe levels of
chemicals in drinking water which do or may cause health problems. These non-enforceable
levels, based solely on possible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum
Contaminant Level Goals.
The MCLG for vinyl chloride has been set at zero
because EPA believes this level of protection would not cause any of the potential
health problems described below.
Based on this MCLG, EPA has set an enforceable
standard called a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). MCLs are set as close to the
MCLGs as possible, considering the ability of public water systems to detect and
remove contaminants using suitable treatment technologies.
The MCL has
been set at 2 parts per billion (ppb) because EPA believes, given present technology
and resources, this is the lowest level to which water systems can reasonably
be required to remove this contaminant should it occur in drinking water.
These drinking water standards and the regulations for ensuring these standards
are met, are called National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. All public water
supplies must abide by these regulations.
What are the Health Effects?
Short-term: EPA has found vinyl chloride to potentially cause the following
health effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the MCL for relatively
short periods of time: damage to the nervous system.
Long-term: Vinyl chloride
has the potential to cause the following effects from a lifetime exposure at levels
above the MCL: damage to the liver and nervous system; cancer.
How much
Vinyl Chloride is produced and released to the environment?
Production
of vinyl chloride in 1993 was nearly 14 billion lbs. Its major release to the
environment will be as emissions and wastewater at polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics
production and manufacturing facilities. Small quantities of vinyl chloride can
be released to food since it is used to make many food wrappings and containers.
From 1987 to 1993, according to EPA's Toxic Release Inventory, vinyl chloride
releases to water and land totalled over 38,000 lbs. These releases were primarily
from plastics materials and resins industries. The largest releases occurred in
Louisiana and Delaware.
What happens to Vinyl Chloride when it is released
to the environment?
Vinyl chloride released to soil will either quickly
evaporate, be broken down by microbes or may leach to the groundwater. It also
rapidly evaporates from water, but does not degrade there. It will not accumulate
in aquatic life.
How will Vinyl Chloride be Detected in and Removed
from My Drinking Water?
The regulation for vinyl chloride became effective
in 1989. Between 1993 and 1995, EPA required your water supplier to collect water
samples every 3 months for one year and analyze them to find out if vinyl chloride
is present above 0.5 ppb. If it is present above this level, the system must continue
to monitor this contaminant.
If contaminant levels are found to be consistently
above the MCL, your water supplier must take steps to reduce the amount of vinyl
chloride so that it is consistently below that level. The following treatment
methods have been approved by EPA for removing vinyl chloride: Granular activated
charcoal in combination with Packed Tower Aeration.
How will I know
if Vinyl Chloride is in my drinking water?
If the levels of vinyl chloride
exceed the MCL, 2 ppb, the system must notify the public via newspapers, radio,
TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking
water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.
Drinking Water Standards:
Mclg: zero
Mcl: 2 ppb Vinyl
Chloride Releases to Water and Land, 1987 to 1993 (in pounds):
As
part of the Drinking Water and Health pages, this fact sheet is part of a larger
U.S. EPA publication: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Inorganic Contaminants