Occurrence of PCBs in raw and finished drinking water at seven public water systems along the Hudson River

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 175; no. 1-4; pp. 487 - 499
• Main Authors: Palmer, Patrick M, Wilson, Lloyd R, Casey, Ann C, Wagner, Robert E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-04-2011; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Aroclor; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Compliance; Congeners; Dredging; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Laboratories; Mathematical analysis; Methods; Modified Green Bay Method; Monitoring; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; NE273_01; PCB; PCBs; Pollution; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Public waters; Raw; Raw water; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Studies; United States; USEPA Method 508; Water analysis; Water pollution; Water sampling; Water Supply - analysis; Well data; Hudson River; New York; United States; North America; America; United States > US; USA, New Jersey, Hudson R; PCBs; Drinking water; Aroclor; NE273_01; Congeners; Polychlorinated biphenyls; USEPA Method 508; Hudson river; Modified Green Bay Method; Polychlorobiphenyls; Persistent organic pollutant; Halogenated hydrocarbon; Chlorine Organic compounds; Chlorocarbon; Aromatic compound; Organic compounds; Halogen Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1546-9

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in raw and finished drinking water at seven Public Water Systems (PWSs) along the Hudson River as part of a baseline monitoring program prior to the extensive sediment dredging of the Upper Hudson River. Water samples were either analyzed using an Aroclor method (based on USEPA Method 508) or a congener method (Modified Green Bay Mass Balance Method). Using the congener-based method, raw water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 164.3 ng/L and finished water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 186.6 ng/L. Using the Aroclor method, finished water concentrations ranged from <5.0 to 200.9 ng/L. Most finished water samples above 73.0 ng/L were from a PWS with wells drilled near the river. Excluding the well data, total PCB concentrations in raw water at systems in the Upper River were similar to concentrations at systems in the Lower River, though the congener patterns differed. Paired comparison of total PCB concentrations using the two analytical methods showed good agreement, although raw water showed a different relationship than finished water.