Document rBRxyG7L9J5OVZEanK9nLB86G

ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS OF PCB's Doris J. Ruopp Vincent J. DeCarlo U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 ' ABSTRACT Since . the 1966 discovery in Sweden that chlorinated biphenyls wore widely dispersed in the environment their environmrntnl levels have been the subject of many studies with the results indicating that PCB's can have adverse ecological and toxicologicaleffects. However, a well planned national approach to environmental sampling ban not been attempted thus hindering making a national assessment of the l'CB problem. This paper reviews the levels that arc currently being found in. the environment. . INTRODUCTION Since the 1966 discovery in Sweden that chlorinated biphenyls were widely dispersed in the environment, their levels hove been the subject of many studies both abroad and in the United States. Extensive, laboratory and environmental measurements indicate that PCB's can have adverse ecological and toxicological effects, are very resistant to environmental degradation and ore being discharged by many different, sources. This paper will focus on the current PCD data base, in an effort to assess the PCB levels in the environment on a national basis. ENVI ROHM FI.TAL PCB SOURCES before tbc TCB data base ic> examined, it would be of interest to review bow these chemicals get into the environc.cnt. The major sources contributing to the environmental levels of PCB'g are Industrial effluents, manufacturing processes, consumer and industrial waste materials, sewage treatment facilities and accidental spills. Lacking extensive air and 6oll data from these sources, available water data arc shown in Table 1. The 5 major PCB spills in' 1973-75_all Involved transformers. Til 4 of thbffe Sncidcnts^ ihc~T'ClV s vCYC r.y>T11 cd ~ soil while, in the fifth the transformer was dropped on a pier and the contents were Gpilled into the water. In the latter incident, 283 gallons were spilled and it was estimated that only 70-90 gallons were recovered. In all coses the material that could be. recovered vrs drummed up and entombed at a cost approaching $2.3 million. REVIEW OF T1!P. Pen DATA BASE To assess the scope and extent of PCB's in the environment, all nntionol surveys and national data bases maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were examined, including STOUF.T, the national water quality storage and retrieval system, the National Soils Monitoring Program for Pesticide. P.esidues and the Human Monitoring Program. In addition, data from special data bases maintained by the United Stales Geological Survey and the open literature were also examined along with available unpublished reports. Using these data, maps were constructed allowing the concentrations of PCB's in urban soils and the aquatic environment. The data from the national surveys show that a great deal of effort has been expended sr.d continues to be expended but that the data arc very limited. On examination, all States are believed to show some level of PCB contamination. In Table 2 States which had significant levels in at leost one medium are listed with their reported PCB levels for surface and ground water, bottom sediments and fish. In Tabic 3, a number of localized studies are listed along with the reported environmental data. In all these 6tudioe the most extensive measurements have been in fish. . TABLE 1 ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES OF PCB's SOURCE EFFLUENT WATER C01I; CEHTRAT IONS' pub) PAPER MILLS x Wisconsin* WASTE PAPER MILLS Wisconsin INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS 2 California " Wisconsin* Ohio2 Michigan MUNICIPAL WASTE ,WATER TP.TATMENT PLANTS Michigan ^ Wisconsin Ohio2 California CAPACITOR AND TRANSFORM!-: FACILITIES , New York ^ Massachusetts 0.1 - 18.5 18.5 0 .04 .1 76 0.25 17 7000 0.5 .05 - 10 0.16 - 17.0 17 76 2600 42.5 PCB MANUFACTURING FACILITY East St. Louis'* ' ,87 SPILLS Variable 1. Kleinert, S. JEnvironmental Status of PCB in Wisconsin, May 8, 1975, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 2. PCB's and the Environmental, Report of the Interdepartmental Task Force on PCB's, National Technical Information Service, 1972. 3. Statement of Concerns of Lho Lake Michigan Toxic Substances Committee Related to Poly chlorinated Biphenyls, June 1975. Prepared by Korl F. Bremer, USKPA, Chicago, 111. A. Unpublished Data - Royal J. Nadeau and Robert P. Davis, Investigation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Hudson River, Hudson FallsFt. Edward Area, August 1974. 5. Field Sampling and Analysis of Toxic Pollutant's Interim Report, BoUoJle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories, August 1974. DSW 037731 STLCOPCB4021555 WATER On the basis of the national aquatic environmental data collected in 1971-1972 and in 1974, a continuing widespread accumulation of PCB's in water, sediment and fir.h appears to be occurring. However, no trend analysis is possible with the available measurements. For example, whole water measurements have been taken throughout most of the country but- those states reporting non zero readings are few in relation to the number of states showing zero concentrations. This Is due both to the low solubility of PCU'n and to the usual analytical procedure that limJts detectability to the 0.1 ppb level. More meaningful water concentrations were obtained in the Lake Ontario* and Orange County, Californio^ studies where concentrations in water at the ppt (ng/1) level were measured. At these levels, changes in VCB concentrations could be found with distance and time and could be related to other mensurable parameters such os J'CB concentrations in sediment, flora and fauna. . SEDIMENTS .. Since PCB's ore relatively insoluble, it is not surprising that bottom deposits have shown significant concentrations. Although 30 states collected samples in the 1974 study, 15 had less than 4 stations reporting ond showed zero readings. Of the remaining 15, with at least 4 reporting stations, 13 showed detectable concentrations. Since the 13 stales involved were not necessarily the same in both studies, only a very brood comparison may be made, i.o., five states had lower concentrations, four states were higher and four did not sample again.-* V'e may conclude, then, that in there staler, with any monitoring effort in the 3974 Study, VCD's are present in button deposits and the levels me not any lower than in the 1971-7? study. Considering the persistence of VCH's, a significant proportion of the notion's waters arc now affected find will continue to be. BOTES The National Soils Monitoring Program is a email sampling effort studying only 5 urban areas each year. However, VCll's were detected in three of the five cities sampled in each of the years for which data ore available, 1971-73. Of the 22 positive readings 17 of them were below 3 ppm. Of the cities sampled in 1973, Pittsfield, Mass., was-of particu5ar "interest btMiu'jcrit-fnwn-Jstr|ft> rra nfiToTr.e.r ( and'conlleiTfTci' plant" uf.liTg; I'aTpnfunnt i tins of---PeB 's. \ Six'- dlTTcrehT sampTing i.Hcr iojTMti--one--m-4e- of \ Die'- plant 'show--nn--drti'rvalvle - PCir-rr^.ldues". In \contV8Bl, the soil surrounding another TaclJ'lfy Itt 'll li no.i 6... using l'ClPs _in_the mam:facHire of investment casting waxes wn recently measured for. TCB content. Sampler. """ f(Then In" ah 'area ohe-quTrrTCT mile i;i<lins around the plant ranged i!n value from 0.77-5.2 ppm. The VCB's identified were mixtures of Aroclor 1260 and dccnchlorohiphenyl. bevels up to l.B ppm Aroclor 1260 were found at 1-1/4 tniles from the plant. Samples were collected ,from thio facility os part of a study being conducted for the Office of Toxic Substances at sites . suspected to have VCB concentrations. Other cites sampled in March of 1975 were in the vicinity of nn investment casting company in Michigan nipl the VCB manufacturer in Illinois. Surface soil samples were collected at rnch cite up to a distance of approximately one mile from the plant boundary,-,1 at 1/4 mile intervals in all directions. PCIl's were detected in soils at both sampling locations. Concentrations ranged from the detection limit of 0.001 ppm to over 20 ppm. Tbe distribution of All l'CR's analyzed appears higher near the plant site and generally decreases v.ith distance from the site.4 Details of the sampling sites and the concentration levels measured are shown in Figure 1. TABLE 2 . SELECTED STATE DATA ON ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS OF PCB'e *.. State Surface and Groun^ Water Ng/l Bottom Sediment* Pg/kg Fish1* ppm AL AR CA CO CT 1 PL GA IL . IA ' KD HA Ml 1 MN MS MB NJ NY OH OK PA TR SC TX ur VA WV . VII 0.1 0.3 0.1-0.2 0.1-2.1 20-2,400 20-190 5-3502 5-3,200 10-1,300 0.1 10-1,200 0.2 0.1-0.3 1 50-170 0.1 0.3-4.0 3-8002 3-13.0002 0.2 0.1 0.1-3.0 0.1 1-5-140 6-7002 t 30-200 7.9-290 5-80 10 1.53-5.48 1.69-3.88 2.16-5.34 0.10-1.25 0.52-1.18 1.21-11.3 0.35-1.41 0.56-1.31 4.00-11.7 0.44-1.09 0.47-4.58 0.10-4.00 2.68-9.50 1.73-8.07 0.71-3.62 1.94-2.48 0.10-7.3 0.10- .22 0.15-2.14 0.31_1.20 1.24-14,8 All data in this column taken from Hans J. Crump--Wicsncr, Herman K. Feltz and Marvin L. Yotes,, A Study of the Distribution of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Aquai ic Environ- inent. Join:. Research U.S. Ccol. Survey 1, 1 603 (1972, unless otherwise noted. 2, USGS Sediment data, 1974. 3. All datn in this column Laken from Croswell Henderson, Anthony Inglis and Wendell L. Johnson, Organochlorino Insecticide Residues in -Fish Fall 1969 National Pesticide Monitoring Program, Pesticide Monitoring Journal 1(1971). O OSW 037732 2 STLCOPCB4021556 TABLE 3 ' SELECTED PCD 5TTOIE5 LAKES A.i V'"' "i1^ 2 , ii ^ iV, ;i>,p, i-JorS lIl'KOll6 A., Michigan*1. 9 S< . Cloirl^ in VERS FI sir (ppm) .0.14 - 9.17 0.2 - 7.8 0.3 - 5.6 0.16 - 11.0 0.1 - 165.3 3.4 - 9.7 . tr *" 3.8 Water (uP./l) 0.035 - 0.097 Sedithcnt _MZlicL. 43 - 245 0.1 - 0.2 3.72 - 636 Plankton (ppm) 3.4 11.8 's'* * ,, ,,,< Insippi River-1-1 0.9 5.5 A' A.u* SraKpii River 12 . I ah vvv'n River 12 \cv York NiJsvn 13 luchlgnn c.,qinaw River11 KiUmazoo River7*15 Portage Creek7 Wisconsin Milwaukee 8 MAXINE ENVIRONMENT ivlantic Ocean17* 1B lov of Fundy19 Julf of Mexico/Cnribbean Sea7*** 71 Southern California77 . - 350 6.9 - 165.3 <0.01 - 164.56 0.038 - 0.190 0.07 - 1.54 0.032 0.04 - 0.059 6.6 0.1 -- 0.5 0.1 1.0 - 2800 0.1 - 0.21 0.1 - 0.45 0.1 - 6.48 .02 - 2.17 0.0009 - 0.0036 , 0.0015 - 0.019 6.6 - 6,700,000 100 - 560 10 - 475,400 ;" 0.157 - 1.055 iarenceL, Haile, Oilman Veilh, Fred Lee nnd William C. Boyle, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in the Lake Ontario Ecosystem, F.FA-660/3-75-002, ;-jnc 1975, U.S. E.r.A., Corvallis, Crop,on. tlj'is L. Kaiser, Mlrcx, An Pnrecopnired Contami nant of Fishes from Lake Ontario, Science 18, 523 (1974). tlthard L. Carr, Charles E. Finsterwaldev and Michael J. Schibi, Pesticides Monitoring Jour nal 6:23 (1972). -o'-.n R. M. Kelso and Richard Frank, OrganochlorJne lesidues, Mercury, Copper Hnd Cadmium In Yellow Perch, White Boss and Sinai lwouth Bass, Long Point Bay, Lake Eric, Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc., 1 S3:577 (1974). -ro-jblished data. Gilman D. Vcitb and G. E. Glass, PCS's and DDT in Fish from Western Lake Superior, "J.S. E.P.A., Duluth, Minnesota. V/ublishcd Data - John L, Hesse, Bureau of Water Management, Michigan Department of Natural Re sourced, June 1973. . '-published data - State of Michigan Water Re sources Commission, Polychlorinated Biphenyl Suv- >"y of the Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek in the Vicinity of the City of Kalamazoo, 1972. . '"-..in D. Veith and Fred G. Lee, ChiorobiphenyIs la the Milwaukee River, Water Research, 1971. bli'ihcd data - Scbacht 1974, ERA 600/3-74-002. "'I A. llache, James W, Serum, William D. Youngs and Donald J, Link, Polychlorinated Eiphenyl . (dues: Accumulation in Cayuga l.nke Trout -III. Ago, Science 177:1191 (1972). ' * smi C. Johnson nnd Robert L, Morris, Chlorin ated Insecticide, Residues in the Eggs of Rome Frcdiwntcr Fish, Bulletin of Environmental Con ' 'uninal Jon nnd Toxicology 11:503 (3974). '""p A, Schulze, Dougins B. Manigold and Freeman L. Andrews, Pesticides in Selected Western Lin-mini 396B-197.1, Pesticides Monitoring Jour nal 7;73 (1973). 13. Unpublished data - Koynl J. Nadeau and Robert P. Davis, Investigation of Polychlorinated Bi phenyls in the Hudson River (Hudson Falls - Ft. Edward Area, August 1974. 14. Unpublished data - John L. Hesse, Monitoring for Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Aquatic Envi ronment, May 1973. 15. Unpublished data - Michigan Water Resources Com mission, Evaluation of the Aquatic Environment, of the Kalamazoo River Watershed, Kay 1972. 16. Michigan Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 1973 Great Lakes Environ mental Contaminants Study. 17. T. F, Bidlcnun aud C. E, Olncy, Chlorinated Hyrdo- carbons in the Sargasso Sc^ Atmosphere nnd Sur face Water, Science 163:516, 1973. 18 George R. Harvey, Helen F. Miklas, Vaughan T. Bowen nnd William G. Stcinhauer, Observations on the Distribution of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Atlantic Ocean Organisms, Journal of Marine Re search 32:103 (1973). 19. V, P.itko, O. Hfltzingcr and P.M.K. Choi, Contamin ation of the. Bay of FunJy - Gulf of Maine Area with Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Polychlorinated Terphc-nyls, Chlorinated D.lbcnzodioxins and Dibenzofuvans, Environmental Health Perspectives, 1:47 (1972). 20. C. S. Ciam, A. R. Hanks, R, L. Richardson, W. M,Sackctt nnd M. K. Wong, DDT, DDE, and Polychlor inated Biphenyls in Biota from the Gulf of Mex ico mid Caribbean Sea - 1971. Pesticides Moni toring Journal 6:139 (1972). - 21. C. S. Ciaiu, M. K. Wong, A, U. Hanks, W. M. Sackctt, and R. I.. Richardson, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Plankton from the Gulf of Mexico and Northern California, Bulletin of Environmental Contam ination nnd Toxicology 9:376 (1973). 22. The Ecology of the Southern California Jliglit: Implications for Water Quality Management, SouLhern California Coastal Water Research Pro ject, 1500 East Imperial Highway, El Sc.gundo, 1973. CSW 037733 STLCOPCB4021557 Figure 1 . Concentration of rCE's In Soli with Distance <ppm) T Aroclor 1260 Investment Casting Company Aroclor 1260 Investment Casting Wax Manufacturer decnchlorobipheny1 Investment Casting VJux Manufacturer deeachlorobi phenyl l'CB Manufacturer DSW 037734 STLCOPCB4021558 AIR PCB me aEuromcnts In air along with the related t rnnsport studies are practicelly nonexistent Harvey and Stoinhauer-* have reported levol6 rcn glng from 3.9 - 5.3 ng/ui3, Air measurements by Bldlcman and Olney for Rhode Island ranged fron 2.1-9.A ng/m3 and from 0.21 - 0.65 ng/tn3 at Bermuda ^ Snow melt water data fron Wisconsin ranged Iron zero to 0.2A ppb. The suggestion has Been made that atmospheric fallout may be the most significant source of PCB diccharge to the waters of. the state of Wisconsin.^ TABLE A LAKE ONTARIO ECOSYSTEM1 FISH, VJg/g Alewife Smelt Slimy Sculpin WATER, ng/1 .1A - A.36 1.A0 - 3.A9 1.58 - 9.17 38 ' - 97 SEDIMENT, ng/g A3 - 2A5 NET PLANKTON, pg/g 3.A - 11.8 FISH Flsli hove been studied on a nationwide basis by the Department of the Interior since 1967. In the 1969 study, ECU levels were identified In fish from 35 stator.. Data from the nationwide sampling programs, 1970-1973, ore currently being prepared but were. not available for this report. Consequently, nationwide fish data arc not available any more currently than 1969, with the exception of the isolated studies listed in Table 3. The 1969 notional study showed l'CB levels generally within the FDA 5 ppm guideline. In the Great Lakes area, FOB levels in fish from lake Michigan were so high, 7.6-10.9 ppm, that FDA seized shipments of coho salmon in May 1975. Although transport mechanisms ere nDt well known and would vary through different ecosystems, it is interesting to consider the Lake Ontario F-tObyslem Suidy surj.,ai`i::cd in Table A. From, this study on estimate of biomogni fieatioii is possible giving a sediment to fish ratio of 1:120. The FDA guideline of 5 ppm in the edible portion of fish corresponds to a sediment concentration of A1 ppb - a figure rxcccdcd in ell 13 states reporting through . USGS in 197A, 1. Haile, C. L., Voith, G. D., Lee, C. F., Boyle, W. C., Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in the Lake Ontario Ecosystem (IFYCL) June, 1975. REFERENCES 1. Haile, C.L., Voith, C.D., Lee, G.F., Boyle, W.C., Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in the Lake Ontario Ecosystem (IFVGL), June 1975. 2. McDermott, D.J., and Hansen, T.C., Inputs of DDT, PCB And Trace Metals from Harbors, Coastal Water Research Project Annuel Report, 1975, 3. U.S. Geological Survey. A. Environmental Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contamination near Sites of Manufacture and Use, Environmental Science and F.nginccring, Inc., 1975. HUMANS With FCTl's as widespread across various media as they ere, it is expected that levels would be identified in humans ns veil. The Human Monitoring Program, in 1972, found thot 3035 out of A102 samples from 31 Staten showed levels ranging from less than 1 ppm to move than 3 ppm. In 1973, 96A out of 1277 samples from 28 States again showed levels in the same range. In bolh years approximately 752 of the adipose tissue analyzed contained some polychlorinated biphenyls. Unfortunately wc do not know age, occupation or residential histories of the cases involved so it is difficult to trace the levels back to the potential sources. CONCLUSIONS Although there ore many notional and state groups collecting environmental FOB data, limitations in the current data base prevent one from making a uniform national assessment of PCB environmental levels. It appears that if o well PJ aimed national approach to campling were Attempted, the data base could be improved in a very short period of time. 5. Harvey, G.R. and Pteinbauer, W.G., Atmospheric Transport of Polychlorinated Biphenyls to the North Atlantic, Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 8, 197A. 6. Bldlcman, T.F., and Olney, C.F., Chlorinated Hydro carbons in tbc Sargasso Sea Atmosphere and Sur face Water, Science, Vol. 163, February 197A. 7. Kleinert, S.J., Environmental Status of PCB'c in Wisconsin, liny 8, 1975, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 8. Henderson, C., Inglis, A., Johnson, W.L,, Orgnnochlorir.e Insecticide Residues in Fish - Fall 1969 National Pesticide Monitoring Program, Pesticides Monitoring Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, June 1971. 9. Bremer, Karl E., Draft copy of "Statement of Con cerns of the Lake Michigan Toxic Substances Com mittee related to l'CB's," June 1975. DSW 037735 5 STLCOPCB4021559