Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Drinking Water

🩨 Health Effects

PCBs are probable human carcinogens and can harm the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. They accumulate in fatty tissue. Children exposed in utero may have lower IQ and developmental problems.

📍 Sources in Water

Industrial chemicals used in electrical equipment and other applications until they were banned in 1979. They persist in the environment for decades and enter water from contaminated industrial sites, hazardous waste, and sediment disturbance.

✅ What To Do

Activated carbon and reverse osmosis can remove PCBs. Violations in public water systems are uncommon but can occur near former industrial sites or in areas with contaminated sediment.

📜 Regulation History

The EPA set the PCB MCL at 0.0005 mg/L (0.5 ppb) in 1991 under the Phase II rule, with an MCLG of zero. PCBs were banned from manufacture in the US in 1979 under TSCA. Despite the ban, PCBs persist in the environment and are still found at contaminated sites. The WHO guideline for PCBs is also 0.0005 mg/L.

🔬 How To Test Your Water

Certified lab tests for PCBs cost $100-$250 due to the complex extraction and analysis (EPA Method 508.1). Home test kits are not available for PCBs. Testing is mainly relevant near former industrial sites, electrical equipment manufacturing areas, or contaminated waterways.

💧 Which Filters Remove Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)?

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is highly effective at adsorbing PCBs from water. Reverse osmosis also removes PCBs. Due to their low solubility, PCBs tend to attach to particles, so sediment filtration provides some removal. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 certification for SOC (synthetic organic chemical) reduction.

🔗 Related Contaminants