Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Tangipahoa Parish Water District

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.

 

34

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND140ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND70ND
2021ND50ND
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND80ND

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
2018-05-0735391332002ND
2018-05-0735391332001ND
2018-05-0735391332001ND
2018-05-0735391332002ND
2018-12-0335434998003ND
2018-12-0335434998001ND
2018-12-0335434998005ND
2018-12-0335434998004ND
2018-12-0335434998002ND
2018-12-0335434998001ND
2018-12-0335434998005ND
2018-12-0335434998004ND
2018-12-0335434998003ND
2018-12-0335434998002ND
2020-03-0235535343001ND
2020-11-1635593782004ND
2020-11-1635593782006ND
2020-11-1635593782005ND
2020-11-1635593782003ND
2020-11-1635593782002ND
2020-11-1635593782001ND
2021-11-0135675416001ND
2021-11-0135675416002ND
2021-11-0135675416003ND
2021-11-0135675416004ND
2021-11-0135675416005ND
2023-03-2835789166001ND
2023-10-2535837335001ND
2023-10-2535837335002ND
2023-11-0635840552001ND
2023-11-0635840552002ND
2023-11-0635840552003ND
2023-11-0635840552004ND
2023-11-0635840552005ND