Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

CTWC - Shoreline Region-Guilford System

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.

 

33

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND160ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND10ND
2022ND150ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-07-09CA86688ND
2019-01-30200520057-SOCND
2019-01-30SOC 200520057ND
2019-06-06SOC 200535309ND
2019-06-06SOC 200535308ND
2019-06-11SOC 200536055ND
2019-06-11SOC 200536054ND
2019-06-19SOC 200542695ND
2019-06-24SOC 200537520ND
2019-07-29SOC 200542348ND
2019-07-30SOC 200542453ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542480ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542468ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542497ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542466ND
2019-07-31SOC 200542499ND
2019-08-14SOC 200544869ND
2021-09-30S300072074 300072088ND
2022-06-14CL56470ND
2022-06-14CL56472ND
2022-06-14CL56474ND
2022-06-15CL57887ND
2022-06-15CL57885ND
2022-06-22CL62297ND
2022-06-28CL66245ND
2022-07-18CL80434ND
2022-07-18CL80436ND
2022-07-18CL80438ND
2022-07-18CL80432ND
2022-07-25CL88838ND
2022-07-25CL88842ND
2022-08-29CM17828ND
2022-10-19CM66672ND