Study Finds Benzene in California Well Water Most Likely From Natural Petroleum Sources

Benzene occasionally found in California public water wells comes predominantly from naturally occurring petroleum deposits, the U.S. Geological Survey said Aug. 29.

The findings are part of a report, Geogenic Sources of Benzene in Aquifers used for Public Supply, California, written by two USGS scientists and published in Environmental Science & Technology, a journal of the American Chemical Society.

The study found benzene, a carcinogen, in 1.7 percent of untreated public supply wells, usually in concentrations below the maximum contaminant level of 1.0 microgram per liter set by the California Department of Public Health. Groundwater for public supply ...