Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Falls Water Company Inc

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.

 

17

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-08-08SI80810801ND
2018-11-14SI81110401ND
2019-03-25SI90316701ND
2019-04-01SI90400501ND
2021-11-16SI11111703ND
2021-11-16SI11111704ND
2021-11-16SI11111705ND
2021-11-16SI11111701ND
2021-11-16SI11111702ND
2022-08-15SI20817502ND
2022-08-15SI20817503ND
2022-08-15SI20817504ND
2022-08-15SI20817505ND
2023-03-28SI30324001ND
2023-03-29SI30325201ND
2023-06-14SI30624701ND
2023-08-29SI30840803ND