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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Hicksville WD

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

70

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND90ND
2015ND120ND
2016ND90ND
2017ND50ND
2018ND120ND
2019ND230ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-06-231406G49-002-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G06-001-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G06-002-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G06-003-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G06-004-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G49-001-SOCSND
2014-06-231406G49-003-SOCSND
2014-08-131408900-001-SOCSND
2014-08-131408900-002-SOCSND
2015-11-161511C01-001-SOCSND
2015-12-031512265-001-SOCSND
2015-12-071512556-002-SOCSND
2015-12-071512556-001-SOCSND
2015-12-091512765-001-SOCSND
2015-12-091512765-002-SOCSND
2015-12-101512888-002-SOCSND
2015-12-101512919-001-SOCSND
2015-12-101512888-0001-SOCND
2015-12-171512F02-002-SOCSND
2015-12-171512F02-003-SOCSND
2015-12-171512F02-001-SOCSND
2016-10-12702446001ND
2016-10-12702446002ND
2016-10-13702004001ND
2016-10-18702272001-SOCSND
2016-10-18702272002-SOCSND
2016-10-24702740002ND
2016-10-24702740001ND
2016-10-25702942001ND
2016-10-25702945001AND
2017-06-157021489002-SOCSND
2017-06-157021489001-SOCSND
2017-06-217022029001ND
2017-06-217022029002-SOCSND
2017-06-217022029003-SOCSND
2018-12-107073415004-SOCSND
2018-12-107073415002-SOCSND
2018-12-107073415003-SOCSND
2018-12-107073415005-SOCSND
2018-12-107073415001-SOCSND
2018-12-117073560001ND
2018-12-117073560002-SOCSND
2018-12-127073759001-SOCSND
2018-12-127073759002-SOCSND
2018-12-137073937001-SOCSND
2018-12-137073937002-SOCSND
2018-12-147074047001-SOCSND
2019-01-117076407004ND
2019-01-117076407003ND
2019-01-177076938002ND
2019-01-177076938001ND
2019-01-247077532002ND
2019-01-247077532001ND
2019-06-107092931002ND
2019-06-107092931001ND
2019-06-107092931002-SOCSND
2019-06-107092931001-SOCSND
2019-06-127093435001ND
2019-06-127093435002ND
2019-06-187094125001ND
2019-06-207094870002ND
2019-06-207094870001ND
2019-06-247094894003ND
2019-06-247094942001ND
2019-06-247094894002ND
2019-06-247094894001ND
2019-06-257095112001ND
2019-06-257095112002ND
2019-07-187097939001ND
2019-09-1870105435001ND