In the early 1980s, two water-supply systems at Camp Lejeune were found to be contaminated with a group of chemicals known as “volatile organic compounds.” These chemicals – such as Trichloroethylene (a metal cleaner), Tetrachloroethylene (a dry cleaning agent), Benzene (a chemical often used in gasoline), Methylene chloride (a chemical solvent used in labs and to remove paint), and Vinyl chloride (a colorless gas used to make polyvinyl chloride and plastic products) – were found to have infiltrated the drinking water.