Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Four Way Special Utility 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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

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
2018-03-08Q1809770001ND
2018-03-08Q1809770002ND
2018-03-08Q1809770003ND
2018-03-08Q1809770004ND
2019-06-04Q1931189013ND
2019-06-04Q1931189014ND
2020-06-17Q2024644001ND
2020-08-11Q2031797013ND
2021-06-02Q2114209001ND
2021-06-02Q2114209002ND
2021-06-02Q2114209003ND
2021-06-02Q2114209012ND
2022-03-07Q2207619001ND
2022-03-07Q2207619002ND
2023-04-24Q2315229006ND
2023-06-05Q2320826026ND