Announcement of Publication of Public Health Goals and Availability of Technical Support Document for Cis- and Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene in Drinking Water

Jul 20, 2018

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the publication of updated Public Health Goals (PHGs) for cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-/trans-1,2-DCE) in drinking water. A PHG is the level of a drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure. The California Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996^[1] requires OEHHA to develop PHGs based exclusively on public health considerations.^[2] PHGs published by OEHHA are considered by the State Water Resources Control Board in setting drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs) for California.^[3]

The technical support document, available for download below, presents an update of the cis- and trans-1,2-DCE PHGs. The updated PHGs are 13 parts per billion (ppb) for cis-1,2-DCE based on kidney effects and 50 ppb for trans-1,2-DCE based on immune system effects.

A companion document, also available for download below, contains responses to public comments received during two public comment periods that ended in September 2017 and July 2018, and comments received in January 2018 from an external scientific peer review. OEHHA has evaluated all of the comments and revised the technical support document as appropriate.

If you would like to receive further information on this announcement or have questions, please contact Hermelinda Jimenez at PHG.Program@oehha.ca.gov or at (916) 324-7572. Written inquiries can also be addressed to:

Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Branch
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
California Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 4010, MS-12B
Sacramento, California 95812-4010
Attention: PHG Program