Worldwide Surface-Soil Polychlorinated Biphenyl Regulatory Guidance Values
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 9
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of synthetic chlorinated organic compounds that were manufactured in huge quantities and used worldwide in numerous commercial and industrial applications. They are often found in contaminated soil. This paper examines the regulatory guidance values used to control the health risks of direct contact with PCB-contaminated residential soil. A total of 2,471 PCB guidance values are identified, 57.2% from U.S.-related jurisdictions and 42.8% from 50 other United Nations member states. Values are identified for total PCBs, 70 individual PCB congeners, and 9 Aroclor PCB blends. The guidance values for total PCBs and most congeners vary by more than six orders of magnitude. Aroclor values are less variable because they are specified by fewer jurisdictions. Nearly half (49.5%) of PCB guidance values fall within uncertainty bounds computed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cancer-risk guidance value model. For total PCBs, 30.0% of values fall within the uncertainty bounds of 0.11 to (0.85 orders of magnitude), but expanding these bounds slightly to span from the results of Spain’s risk model to the value set by the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (0.08 to ) captures 58.8% of the values. Nevertheless, extreme values at both ends of the value distributions emphasize that universal agreement on appropriate guidance values to control PCB health risks has yet to be attained.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of scholars who have contributed to the capture, translation, validation, and analysis of RGV data: Kayla DeVault, Maurice Gayle, Amy Hanna, Michelle Hummel, Emily Kowalsky, Alex Litofsky, Jun Ma, Paul Manglona, Mikhail Miller, and Elijah Petersen.
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Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 9 • September 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 5, 2016
Accepted: Feb 28, 2017
Published online: May 30, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Oct 30, 2017
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