Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

City of Troy

NOTE: City of Troy purchases water from City of Temple which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Temple.

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.

 

9

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND10ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND30ND

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

NOTE: City of Troy purchases water from City of Temple which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Temple.

Date Lab ID Result
2021-10-13Q2128691001ND
2022-02-01AF82962ND
2022-04-05AF92084ND
2022-07-13AG04598ND
2022-10-04AG15981ND
2023-01-04AG23241ND
2023-04-05AG35686ND
2023-07-06AG47432ND
2023-10-23AG60696ND