Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Baton Rouge Water Company

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.

 

272

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND520ND
2019ND740ND
2020ND430ND
2021ND300ND
2022ND330ND
2023ND400ND

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
2018-03-1235379759001ND
2018-03-1235379759002ND
2018-03-1235379759001ND
2018-03-1235379759002ND
2018-04-1035385805004ND
2018-04-1035385805005ND
2018-04-1035385805004ND
2018-04-1035385805005ND
2018-04-1735386963001ND
2018-04-1735386963002ND
2018-04-1735386963003ND
2018-04-1735386963004ND
2018-04-1735386963001ND
2018-04-1735386963002ND
2018-04-1735386963003ND
2018-04-1735386963004ND
2018-06-1135398105001ND
2018-06-1135398105002ND
2018-06-1135398105001ND
2018-06-1135398105002ND
2018-09-2035419431001ND
2018-09-2035419431002ND
2018-09-2035419431003ND
2018-09-2035419431004ND
2018-09-2035419431001ND
2018-09-2035419431002ND
2018-09-2035419431003ND
2018-09-2035419431004ND
2018-09-2435420620001ND
2018-09-2435420620002ND
2018-09-2435420620003ND
2018-09-2435420620004ND
2018-09-2435420620001ND
2018-09-2435420620002ND
2018-09-2435420620003ND
2018-09-2435420620004ND
2018-12-0335434672001ND
2018-12-0335434672002ND
2018-12-0335434941001ND
2018-12-0335434672001ND
2018-12-0335434672002ND
2018-12-0335434941001ND
2018-12-0435434931001ND
2018-12-0435434931002ND
2018-12-0435434931001ND
2018-12-0435434931002ND
2018-12-1135436979001ND
2018-12-1135436979002ND
2018-12-1135436979003ND
2018-12-1135436979001ND
2018-12-1135436979002ND
2018-12-1135436979003ND
2019-01-2335444341001ND
2019-01-2335444343001ND
2019-01-2335444344001ND
2019-01-2335444341001ND
2019-01-2335444343001ND
2019-01-2335444344001ND
2019-02-1435448564001ND
2019-02-1435448564002ND
2019-02-1435448564001ND
2019-02-1435448564002ND
2019-03-1435454833001ND
2019-03-1435454833002ND
2019-03-1435454833001ND
2019-03-1435454833002ND
2019-03-1835455451001ND
2019-03-1835455451002ND
2019-03-1835455451003ND
2019-03-1835455451004ND
2019-03-1835455451001ND
2019-03-1835455451002ND
2019-03-1835455451003ND
2019-03-1835455451004ND
2019-03-2535457421001ND
2019-03-2535457421001ND
2019-04-0935460483001ND
2019-04-0935460483002ND
2019-04-0935460483003ND
2019-04-0935460483001ND
2019-04-0935460483002ND
2019-04-0935460483003ND
2019-04-2435464166001ND
2019-04-2435464166002ND
2019-04-2435464166003ND
2019-04-2435464166004ND
2019-04-2435464166001ND
2019-04-2435464166002ND
2019-04-2435464166003ND
2019-04-2435464166004ND
2019-04-2935464817001ND
2019-04-2935464817002ND
2019-04-2935464817001ND
2019-04-2935464817002ND
2019-05-1635469376001ND
2019-05-1635469376002ND
2019-05-1635469376001ND
2019-05-1635469376002ND
2019-08-2135492794001ND
2019-08-2135492794002ND
2019-08-2135492794003ND
2019-08-2135492794001ND
2019-08-2135492794002ND
2019-08-2135492794003ND
2019-10-0735503317001ND
2019-10-0735503317002ND
2019-10-0735503317003ND
2019-10-0735503317004ND
2019-10-0735503317001ND
2019-10-0735503317002ND
2019-10-0735503317003ND
2019-10-0735503317004ND
2019-10-2835508802001ND
2019-10-2835508802001ND
2019-11-2035514423001ND
2019-11-2035514423001ND
2019-12-0335516732001ND
2019-12-0335516732002ND
2019-12-0335516732003ND
2019-12-0335516732001ND
2019-12-0335516732002ND
2019-12-0335516732003ND
2019-12-0435516731001ND
2019-12-0435516731002ND
2019-12-0435516731001ND
2019-12-0435516731002ND
2020-01-0935523487003ND
2020-01-1635525044001ND
2020-01-1635525044002ND
2020-02-1035529942002ND
2020-04-1435543877001ND
2020-04-1435543877002ND
2020-04-1435543877003ND
2020-04-2735546220001ND
2020-04-2735546220003ND
2020-04-2835546711001ND
2020-04-2835546711002ND
2020-05-0435547452001ND
2020-05-0435547452002ND
2020-05-0435547452003ND
2020-05-0435548017002ND
2020-05-0535548017001ND
2020-05-2035551551001ND
2020-05-2035551551002ND
2020-05-2035551551003ND
2020-06-1735557442001ND
2020-06-1735557443001ND
2020-06-1735557443002ND
2020-06-2235558211001ND
2020-06-2235558211002ND
2020-06-2235558211003ND
2020-06-2335558519001ND
2020-06-2335558519002ND
2020-06-2335558519003ND
2020-07-2135565371003ND
2020-07-2135565371004ND
2020-07-2235565371001ND
2020-07-2235565371002ND
2020-07-2935567065001ND
2020-07-2935567065002ND
2020-08-0435567840001ND
2020-08-0435567840002ND
2020-09-1535578514001ND
2020-10-1235584260001ND
2020-10-1235584260002ND
2020-10-2635587659001ND
2020-10-2635587659002ND
2020-12-0835597584001ND
2020-12-0835597584002ND
2021-01-2535607409001ND
2021-01-2535607409002ND
2021-03-0235616426001ND
2021-03-0235616426002ND
2021-03-0235616426003ND
2021-03-0835617863001ND
2021-03-0835617863002ND
2021-04-2735629151001ND
2021-05-1835634927002ND
2021-05-1835634927003ND
2021-07-1435648187001ND
2021-07-1435648187002ND
2021-07-2835651687001ND
2021-07-2835651687002ND
2021-08-0935654155001ND
2021-08-0935654155002ND
2021-10-1235670659001ND
2021-10-1235670659002ND
2021-10-2035672364001ND
2021-10-2135672969002ND
2021-10-2135672969003ND
2021-10-2135672969004ND
2021-10-2135672969005ND
2021-11-0135675492001ND
2021-11-0135675492002ND
2021-11-1535679111001ND
2021-11-1535679111002ND
2021-11-1535679111003ND
2021-11-1535679111004ND
2021-12-0635683441001ND
2022-01-2435692987001ND
2022-01-2435692987002ND
2022-02-0835695937001ND
2022-02-0835695937002ND
2022-02-2135699215001ND
2022-02-2135699215002ND
2022-02-2135699215003ND
2022-03-1435704389001ND
2022-03-1435704389002ND
2022-03-1435704389003ND
2022-03-1435704389004ND
2022-03-1435704389005ND
2022-04-1835712260001ND
2022-04-1835712260002ND
2022-04-1835712260003ND
2022-04-1835712260004ND
2022-04-1835712260005ND
2022-05-0235715790001ND
2022-05-0235715790002ND
2022-06-2035726803001ND
2022-08-1835741196001ND
2022-08-1835741207001ND
2022-08-1835741210001ND
2022-10-2535756111001ND
2022-10-2535756112001ND
2022-10-2535756113001ND
2022-10-2535756114001ND
2022-10-2535756115001ND
2022-11-1635760970001ND
2022-11-1735760970002ND
2022-12-0535764806001ND
2022-12-0535764807001ND
2022-12-0535764808001ND
2023-01-1135772541001ND
2023-04-1035791908001ND
2023-04-1035791909001ND
2023-04-1035791910001ND
2023-04-1035791911001ND
2023-04-1035791926001ND
2023-04-1735793689001ND
2023-04-1735793689002ND
2023-04-1735793689003ND
2023-04-1735793689004ND
2023-04-1735793689005ND
2023-05-0235797178001ND
2023-05-0235797178002ND
2023-05-0235797178003ND
2023-05-0235797178004ND
2023-05-0235797181001ND
2023-06-1435806935001ND
2023-06-1435806936001ND
2023-06-1435806938001ND
2023-06-1435806939001ND
2023-06-2035808388001ND
2023-06-2035808390001ND
2023-06-2035808395001ND
2023-06-2035808410001ND
2023-06-2635809303001ND
2023-06-2635809305001ND
2023-07-3135817759001ND
2023-07-3135817759002ND
2023-08-2935823999001ND
2023-09-1935829245001ND
2023-09-1935829245002ND
2023-09-1935829245003ND
2023-09-1935829245004ND
2023-10-1135834513001ND
2023-10-1135834513002ND
2023-10-1135834513003ND
2023-10-1135834513004ND
2023-10-1135834513005ND
2023-12-1335848531001ND
2023-12-1335848531002ND