Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Dean Dale Special Utility District

NOTE: Dean Dale Special Utility District purchases water from City of Wichita Falls which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Wichita Falls.

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.

 

8

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND10ND

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: Dean Dale Special Utility District purchases water from City of Wichita Falls which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Wichita Falls.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-08-21Q1833473009ND
2018-11-14Q1846491003ND
2019-08-19Q1956634002ND
2020-02-25Q2006937005ND
2021-02-03Q2103346001ND
2021-08-16Q2121825001ND
2022-08-17Q2224340020ND
2023-08-21Q2335127011ND