Carbon Tetrachloride in Water

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in water is a volatile organic chemical (VOC), and is primarily used in the manufacture of chlorofluoromethane but also found in grain fumigants, fire extinguishers, solvents, and other chemical cleaning agents. Many water supplies across the country have been found to contain measurable amounts of VOC's. VOC's, such as carbon tetrachloride in water, pose a possible health risk because a number of them are probable or known carcinogens. Exposure to high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride in water and other sources (including vapor) can affect the central nervous system, degenerate the liver and kidneys organs. Prolonged exposure to carbon tetrachloride from water or other sources can result in coma and even death. Chronic exposure to carbon tetrachloride in water or other sources can cause liver and kidney damage and could result in cancer.
The detection of this VOC (carbon tetrachloride in water) in a water supply indicates that a pollution incident has occurred, because these chemicals are man-made. See Volatile Organic Chemicals for a complete listing. Carbon tetrachloride is soluble in water, and The US EPA has classified carbon tetrachloride as a probable human carcinogen and established an MCL of 0.005 mg/l.

Carbon tetrachloride Water Treatment - Reverse Osmosis will remove 70 to 80% of carbon tetrachloride in drinking water as will ultrafiltration and electrodialysis. Carbon tetrachloride as well as the other volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) can also be removed from drinking water with activated carbon filtration and filters. The adsorption capacity of the carbon water filters will vary with each type of VOC. The carbon manufacturers can run computer projections on many of these chemicals and give an estimate as to the amount of VOC which can be removed before the carbon filter will need replacement.