Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Harris County Water Control and Improvement District Fondren Road

NOTE: Harris County Water Control and Improvement District Fondren Road purchases water from City of Houston which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Houston.

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.

 

49

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
2021ND140ND
2022ND10ND
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

NOTE: Harris County Water Control and Improvement District Fondren Road purchases water from City of Houston which is required to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs). Sample information shown below was taken by City of Houston.

Date Lab ID Result
2021-10-13Q2128693002ND
2021-10-13Q2128693001ND
2021-10-13Q2128693007ND
2021-10-13Q2128693006ND
2021-10-13Q2128693004ND
2021-10-13Q2128693003ND
2021-10-13Q2128693005ND
2021-12-14Q2135450001ND
2021-12-14Q2135450002ND
2021-12-14Q2135450003ND
2021-12-14Q2135450004ND
2021-12-15Q2135658001ND
2021-12-15Q2135658002ND
2021-12-15Q2135658003ND
2022-02-18AF85731ND
2022-03-23AF90316ND
2022-03-23AF90317ND
2022-03-24AF90590ND
2022-03-24AF90591ND
2022-03-24AF90592ND
2022-04-06AF92299ND
2022-06-29AG02893ND
2022-08-16AG09540ND
2022-08-16AG09541ND
2022-08-17AG09812ND
2022-10-10AG16501ND
2022-10-10AG16505ND
2022-10-10AG16500ND
2022-10-11AG16720ND
2022-10-24AG18144ND
2022-10-24AG18154ND
2022-10-25AG18412ND
2022-10-25AG18413ND
2023-01-31AG26954ND
2023-01-31AG26955ND
2023-01-31AG26957ND
2023-01-31AG26958ND
2023-02-23AG30377ND
2023-04-06AG35950ND
2023-04-06AG35951ND
2023-06-27AG46316ND
2023-06-27AG46317ND
2023-06-27AG46318ND
2023-08-23AG53806ND
2023-08-24AG54109ND
2023-08-24AG54110ND
2023-08-24AG54115ND
2023-10-10AG59214ND
2023-10-11AG59519ND