Screening Levels

The Screening Levels are chemical-specific concentrations for individual contaminants in air, drinking water and soil that may warrant further investigation or site cleanup.

Resident SoilIndustrial SoilResident AirIndustrial AirTapwater
0.0000048 mg/kg

(4.8 ng/kg)
0.000022 mg/kg

(22 ng/kg)
0.000000074 μg/m3

(74 fg/m3)
0.00000032 μg/m3

(320 fg/m3)
0.00000012 μg/L

(120 fg/L)
Screening Levels for “Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)” (Last Updated by the EPA in November 2020)

Maximum Contaminant Level

The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

MCL: 0.00003 μg/L (30 pg/L)

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for “Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)” (Last Updated by the EPA in May 2009)

Units

AbbreviationMeaningNotes
mg/kgmass of chemical (milligrams, mg) per mass of soil (kilogram, kg)Equivalent to parts per million (ppm)
μg/m3mass of chemical (micrograms, mg) per volume of air (cubic meter, m3)This can be converted to ppm using the molecular weight of the chemical
μg/Lmass of chemical (micrograms, μg) per volume of water (liter, L)Equivalent to parts per billion (ppb); divide by 1,000 to get ppm

For more information about these units and their conversion factors, visit https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.files/fileid/14285.