Vinyl Chloride in Drinking Water
EPA limits, health effects, and what to do if your water is affected.
🩨 Health Effects
Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen, causing liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma) with long-term exposure. It has one of the lowest MCLs of common VOCs in drinking water, reflecting its high carcinogenic potency.
📍 Sources in Water
Enters water from the breakdown of other chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE) in groundwater, and from discharge of plastics factories and chemical plants. Under normal conditions, PVC pipes do not release vinyl chloride into water.
✅ What To Do
Activated carbon filtration and aeration effectively remove vinyl chloride. Reverse osmosis also works. Violations are uncommon but occur at sites with TCE/PCE contamination that has undergone natural breakdown.
Check your tap water for Vinyl Chloride
Search your ZIP code to see if your water system has had Vinyl Chloride violations, plus lead testing results and an overall safety grade.
Search your ZIP code →Data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). MCLs reflect minimum federal standards; some contaminants may pose health risks below these thresholds.