Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

City of Bowie

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
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

Date Lab ID Result
2018-06-05Q1822320001ND
2019-02-20Q1907486001ND
2020-03-18Q2011976001ND
2021-03-10Q2106369001ND
2021-05-12Q2112415001ND
2021-09-22Q2125955001ND
2021-11-29Q2132835001ND
2022-03-07Q2207648001ND
2022-05-11Q2214197003ND
2022-08-03Q2222249005ND
2022-10-11Q2230700003ND
2023-01-24Q2303291002ND