Meghan Hodges
The topic of banned pollutants is a crucial aspect of environmental protection and public health. In the quest to safeguard our planet and its inhabitants, certain substances have been prohibited due to their detrimental effects on ecosystems and human well-being. One prominent example is polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were banned in the late 1970s due to their toxic and persistent nature. PCBs, a group of man-made chemicals, continue to pose a threat even decades after their prohibition, contaminating air, water, soil, and wildlife. The Clean Water Act and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are international efforts to address these hazardous substances. The Priority Pollutant List, developed by the EPA, aids in practical testing and regulation, ensuring that effluent guidelines, water quality criteria, and standards are met. While progress has been made, the insidious nature of pollutants like PCBs underscores the ongoing challenge of protecting our environment and public health from the lingering impacts of these banned contaminants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Pollutant | PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) |
| Type of Pollutant | Chemical |
| Category | Toxic, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) |
| Manufacture Status | Banned since 1979 |
| Use Status | Still present in the environment |
| Impact | Health issues, damage to the reproductive and immune systems, carcinogenic |
| Regulation | Stockholm Convention, Clean Water Act |
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What You'll Learn
PCBs banned in 1979 due to health issues
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. They were manufactured and sold under various names, with the most common being the Aroclor series. PCBs were produced from the 1930s until their ban in 1979.
In 1979, the manufacturing, production, and use of PCBs were banned in the United States due to their harmful impact on human and environmental health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took this decision under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the face of mounting scientific evidence and public pressure.
Before the ban, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications due to their desirable physical properties, such as non-flammability and chemical stability. They were used in microscope oils, electrical insulators, capacitors, and electric appliances like television sets and refrigerators. PCBs were even sprayed on dirt roads to keep the dust down before the unintended consequences of their widespread use became known.
The harmful effects of PCBs include their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and carcinogenicity. PCBs can enter the food chain and accumulate in the leaves and above-ground parts of plants and food crops. Small organisms and fish that ingest these plants and crops can accumulate PCBs in their bodies, which are then passed on to humans who consume them.
Despite the ban, PCBs still persist in the environment due to their resistance to breaking down. People can be exposed to PCBs through contact with older electrical equipment, building materials, contaminated soil, air, and water near hazardous waste sites. As a result, PCB exposures and environmental impacts continue to be a significant health concern even decades after the ban.
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Toxic Pollutant List developed in 1976
The Toxic Pollutant List was developed in 1976 as a starting point for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the disposal of pollutants. It was subsequently added to the Clean Water Act by Congress in 1977. The list was intended to ensure that Effluent Guidelines regulations, water quality criteria, and NPDES permit requirements addressed the problems of toxics in waterways.
The list was negotiated among parties to a settlement agreement (NRDC et al. vs Train, 6 ELR 20588, D.D.C. June 9, 1976). This agreement is sometimes referred to as the "Toxics Consent Decree" or the "Flannery Decision" (for presiding U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Flannery). Congress ratified the agreement and the Toxic Pollutant List when it amended the CWA in 1977.
The list was first published on January 31, 1978, in the Federal Register (43 FR 4108). It included 65 entries deemed toxic, with groupings of pollutants rather than specific, individual pollutants. For example, it included open-ended groups of pollutants, such as "chlorinated benzenes," which contain hundreds of compounds. This made it impractical for testing and regulation, as there was no test for the group as a whole.
To address this issue, the EPA developed the Priority Pollutant List in 1977, which includes specific chemical names and is more practical for water testing and regulatory purposes. This list was included to support regulations for the Steam Electric Power Generating Category. Originally, there were 129 entries on the Priority Pollutant List. In 1981, three pollutants (entry numbers 17, 49, and 50) were removed, reducing the number of entries to 126.
It is important to note that portions of both lists are outdated, as they contain some pesticides that are no longer manufactured in the United States and are unlikely to be discharged into surface waters. As such, the pollutants on these lists are not the only ones regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA) programs.
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Priority Pollutant List for water testing
The Priority Pollutant List was developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1977 to make the implementation of the Toxic Pollutant List more practical for water testing and regulatory purposes. The Toxic Pollutant List, developed in 1976, was intended to be used as a starting point to address the problems of toxics in waterways. However, it consisted of broad categories of pollutants rather than specific, individual pollutants.
The Priority Pollutants are a set of chemical pollutants that the EPA regulates and for which the EPA has published analytical test methods. The Priority Pollutant List includes specific chemical names, making it more practical for testing and regulation. The list is published at 40 CFR Part 423, Appendix A, which is not limited to a specific industrial category.
The EPA used four criteria to select and prioritize specific pollutants for the Priority Pollutant List:
- All pollutants specifically named on the list of toxic pollutants were included.
- A chemical standard had to be available for the pollutant so that testing could be performed.
- The pollutant had to have been reported as found in water with a frequency of occurrence of at least 2.5%.
- The pollutant had to have been produced in significant quantities, as reported in Stanford Research Institute's "1976 Directory of Chemical Producers, USA."
Originally, there were 129 entries on the Priority Pollutant List. In 1981, three pollutants were removed (entry numbers 17, 49, and 50), bringing the total number of entries to 126. It is important to note that portions of the list may be outdated, as some of the listed pesticides are no longer manufactured in the United States and are therefore unlikely to be discharged into surface waters. As such, the pollutants on the list are not the only ones regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA) programs.
While not specifically mentioned in the context of the Priority Pollutant List, it is worth noting that the manufacturing of PCBs was banned in 1979 due to health issues associated with exposure. However, PCB contaminants are still found in air, water, soil, and sediment today.
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Clean Water Act by Congress in 1977
The Clean Water Act (CWA), originally known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, was first enacted in 1948 and underwent sweeping amendments in 1972. The 1972 CWA established the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States. It gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to implement pollution control programs and set wastewater standards for industries.
In 1977, Congress amended the CWA to address several issues. One significant issue was to ensure that certain agricultural activities and other selected activities could continue without government supervision, specifically outside the regulatory or permit jurisdiction of any federal agency. The 1977 amendments included six exemptions to Section 404, which had been interpreted as restricting virtually all placement of dredged materials in wetlands and other waters. The 1977 CWA also extended the deadline for states to submit water quality inventory reports and required that these reports be revised and kept current biennially.
The 1977 amendments also added the Toxic Pollutant List to the CWA. This list, developed in 1976, was intended to be used by the EPA and states as a starting point to address the problems of toxics in waterways. However, the list consisted of broad categories of pollutants rather than specific, individual pollutants. To address this, the EPA created the Priority Pollutant List in 1977 to facilitate water testing and regulatory implementation.
The Clean Water Act of 1977 also made other changes, such as extending the authorizations for water treatment works pilot training programs, grants for state pollution control programs, scholarships and training grants in water pollution control, and grants for lake water improvement programs. The 1977 CWA also stipulated that the determination of priorities for treatment works projects within each state would be made solely by the state and authorized the modification of secondary treatment requirements for municipal discharges if applicable water quality standards were not contravened.
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Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
The majority of POPs are pesticides or insecticides, while some are solvents, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. Although some POPs occur naturally, such as those from volcanoes, most are man-made. POPs have been linked to reproductive impairments and can disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system. They can accumulate in the body fat of living organisms, becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain through a process known as "biomagnification." This means that even small releases of POPs can have significant impacts on top predators in the food chain.
The "dirty dozen" POPs identified by the Stockholm Convention include aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, HCB, mirex, toxaphene, PCBs, DDT, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004, is a global treaty aimed at safeguarding human health and the environment from highly harmful chemicals that persist in the environment and affect both humans and wildlife. As of 2024, 185 countries, along with the European Union, have ratified the Stockholm Convention.
The Arctic Council Action Plan has also launched projects to reduce the use and release of POPs within the Arctic nations, providing information and scientific advice to protect the Arctic environment from these contaminants.
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Frequently asked questions
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a group of more than 200 manmade chemicals that were produced in the United States from 1929 until the late 1970s when they were banned.
PCBs were banned because of their adverse effects on human health and the environment. They are associated with serious health issues, including damage to reproductive and immune systems, and are considered probable human carcinogens.
PCBs are found in the air, water, soil, and food, particularly fat-rich foods such as meat and dairy. They are also present in electrical equipment, old fluorescent lights, paints, plastics, and other industrial waste.
The Stockholm Convention, a United Nations treaty, aims to reduce or eliminate the production and use of PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PCB-using industries and governments are working to identify, label, and remove PCBs from electronics, with liquids containing PCBs and contaminated equipment to be destroyed by 2028.
