Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

City of Mountain Home

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.

 

37

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND60ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND130ND
2022ND170ND
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
2018-08-01S1836908ND
2019-06-11S1927642ND
2019-06-11S1927641ND
2019-07-25S1936441ND
2019-07-25S1936442ND
2019-07-25S1936443ND
2019-12-03S1960165ND
2021-09-09S2147369ND
2021-09-09S2147367ND
2021-09-09S2147371ND
2021-09-22S2150231ND
2021-10-14S2155146ND
2021-10-20S2156407ND
2021-10-20S2156403ND
2021-10-20S2156406ND
2021-10-20S2156401ND
2021-10-20S2156405ND
2021-10-20S2156408ND
2021-10-20S2156402ND
2021-10-20S2156404ND
2022-02-24S2209172ND
2022-02-24S2209174ND
2022-02-24S2209169ND
2022-02-24S2209171ND
2022-02-24S2209173ND
2022-05-11S2222541ND
2022-05-11S2222518ND
2022-05-11S2222516ND
2022-07-20S2234917ND
2022-10-19S2252294ND
2022-10-19S2252293ND
2022-10-19S2252291ND
2022-10-19S2252295ND
2022-10-19S2252296ND
2022-10-19S2252297ND
2022-10-19S2252298ND
2022-10-19S2252299ND