1,2-Dichloropropane
1,2-DCP·Affects liver, kidneys
A soil fumigant and industrial solvent classified as a probable human carcinogen. A major groundwater contaminant in Hawaii and California's Central Valley from decades of agricultural use.
1,2-DCP
EPA limit
0.005 mg/L (MCL)
Most at risk
Households in agricultural areas with historic fumigant use, particularly Hawaii and California's Central Valley
Found in
Well water · Industrial areas
AquaOx filters
YesActivated coconut shell carbon
What it does to you
Health effects
1,2-Dichloropropane targets the liver and the kidneys. The EPA classifies it as likely to be carcinogenic to humans based on liver and mammary tumors in chronic animal studies. IARC has classified it as a Group 1 known human carcinogen following evidence of cholangiocarcinoma in printing workers exposed to high concentrations.
Acute exposure can cause liver and kidney damage along with central nervous system depression. The drinking-water concern is chronic low-dose exposure over years, with cancer risk driving the strict 5 ppb MCL.
The compound is volatile, so it off-gasses from water during hot showers and contributes to inhalation exposure in addition to ingestion.
Where it comes from
How it gets into your water
1,2-Dichloropropane was used heavily as a soil fumigant in pineapple and row crop production through the 1980s, often as a component of the D-D and Telone formulations. It was also a degreasing solvent and chemical intermediate.
Decades of agricultural application left widespread groundwater contamination, particularly in former pineapple-growing areas of Hawaii and the California Central Valley. The compound is dense and persistent, and once it reaches groundwater it migrates slowly with the aquifer and resists natural attenuation.
Agricultural fumigants
Soil fumigant in pineapple and row crops
Contaminated wells
Widespread in Hawaii and Central Valley aquifers
Industrial sites
Degreasing solvent and chemical intermediate
Find out for yourself
Is it in your water?
1,2-Dichloropropane is EPA-regulated, so all community water systems must test for it and report detections on the Consumer Confidence Report. Detections in finished city water are uncommon but cluster in agricultural regions.
Private well owners in former pineapple-growing areas of Hawaii, the California Central Valley, or any region with a history of soil fumigant use should request a full VOC panel that specifically includes 1,2-DCP along with 1,2,3-TCP and EDB. Many wells in affected areas have measurable detections even decades after the last application.
The fix
How AquaOx filters it
Activated carbon is the standard home treatment for chlorinated fumigants. The Centaur catalytic carbon and coconut shell carbon stages in The AquaOx adsorb 1,2-DCP as water passes through.
For homes in known fumigant impact areas, we recommend pairing The AquaOx with the under-sink RO at the kitchen tap so drinking and cooking water get a second-stage polish on top of whole-home filtration.