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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

City of Sherman

PCBs are synthetic chemicals banned in the U.S. since the 1970s because of their toxicity. PCBs contaminate water by leaching from landfills and hazardous waste clean-up sites. PCBs increase the risk of cancer. Read More.

Up until the late 1970s, PCBs were used widely as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors and other electrical equipment. Currently, PCBs are widely detected in the general population. They build up and are stored in fatty tissues and fluids such as breast milk, and can be passed on to fetuses and infants during pregnancy and breast-feeding. In human epidemiological studies, PCBs have been associated with an elevated risk of breast and prostate cancers. Infants and children with higher PCB exposures during development score lower on measures of neurological function, ranging from decreased IQ scores to� reduced hearing sensitivity. PCBs also affect hormones and damage the immune system.

 

44

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND40ND
2015ND150ND
2016ND50ND
2017ND50ND
2018ND100ND
2019ND50ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.09 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.09 ppb for PCBs was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 0.5 ppb

The legal limit for PCBs, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to PCB exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-04-22Q1412762002ND
2014-04-22Q1412762001ND
2014-08-20Q1438015028ND
2014-08-20Q1438015027ND
2015-03-17Q1509888001ND
2015-03-17Q1509888002ND
2015-04-23Q1515169035ND
2015-04-23Q1515169036ND
2015-04-23Q1515169034ND
2015-04-23Q1515169033ND
2015-04-23Q1515169032ND
2015-04-23Q1515169020ND
2015-04-23Q1515169019ND
2015-04-23Q1515169018ND
2015-07-22Q1528508003ND
2015-07-22Q1528508004ND
2015-09-09Q1535058001ND
2015-11-03Q1543355001ND
2015-11-03Q1543355006ND
2016-01-20Q1602479015ND
2016-01-20Q1602479016ND
2016-04-11Q1614214013ND
2016-04-11Q1614214005ND
2016-11-08Q1648503001ND
2017-01-12Q1701556003ND
2017-01-12Q1701556008ND
2017-10-10Q1751594032ND
2017-10-10Q1751594033ND
2017-11-14Q1758437003ND
2018-01-10Q1801240017ND
2018-01-10Q1801240019ND
2018-01-10Q1801240018ND
2018-01-10Q1801240016ND
2018-01-10Q1801240015ND
2018-01-10Q1801240014ND
2018-01-10Q1801240013ND
2018-07-05Q1826605003ND
2018-08-20Q1833198001ND
2018-11-29Q1848810002ND
2019-02-12Q1906434008ND
2019-02-12Q1906434009ND
2019-02-12Q1906434010ND
2019-05-07Q1922272013ND
2019-05-07Q1922272014ND