Environmental Exposure and Racial Disparities
PCBs
Twenty-two polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
are examined in the National Report. None are detected in more
than half of the people in each racial/ethnic group. However,
at the 95thpercentile, eleven of the chemicals are detected.
At the 95th percentile, two chemicals are detected only in
Blacks, three are detected in Blacks and Whites, and six are
detected in all groups. In each of the eleven chemicals detected
at the 95th percentile, the highest levels are detected in Blacks.
Among the six chemicals found in all groups at the 95th percentile,
the levels in Blacks are up to, on average, 232% greater than
in Mexican-Americans and Whites.
Though the production of PCBs was banned in the U.S. in 1978,
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry toxicological
profile reports that exposure from those PCBs continues
primarily through air and dietary sources. PCB fish
advisories continue to increase. Environmental justice communities
that rely on subsistence angling have targeted unsafe levels
of PCBs in aquatic systems as a source of chemicals that pose
a threat to their communities. The National Report is evidence
that a portion of the Black population is exposed to disproportionately
high levels of PCBs.
PCBs
(note - no data indicates non-detect)
| PCBs |
Race/ ethnicity |
Geometric mean
(ng/g)
|
95th percentile(ng/g) |
Findings |
2,4,4'-Trichlorobiphenyl
(PCB 28)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 52)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,3',4,4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 66)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,4,4',5-Tetrachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 74)
|
Black |
|
43.5 |
The PCB 74 level
in Blacks at the 95% percentile is up to 275% greater than
in Mexican-Americans and Whites.
PCB 74 is detected at the 95th
percentile in Mexican-Americans and the 90th
percentile in Blacks and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
15.8 |
| White |
|
29.0 |
2,2',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 99)
|
Black |
|
31.5 |
The PCB 99 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 74% greater
than in Whites.
PCB 99 is not detected in Mexican-Americans,
but is detected at the 90th percentile in Blacks
and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
|
| White |
|
18.1 |
2,2',4,5,5'-Pentachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 101)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,3,3',4,4'-Pentachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 105)
|
Black |
|
12.8 |
PCB 105 is only detected
at the 95th percentile in Blacks. |
| Mexican-American |
|
|
| White |
|
|
2,3',4,4'5-Pentachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 118)
|
Black |
|
59.7 |
The PCB 118 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 252%
greater than in Mexican-Americans and Whites.
PCB 118 is detected at the 90th
percentile in Mexican-Americans and the 75th
percentile in Blacks and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
23.7 |
| White |
|
40.3 |
2,2'3,3',4,4'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 128)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,2',3,4,4',5-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 138)
|
Black |
|
122 |
The PCB 138 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 74% greater
than in Whites.
PCB 138 is not detected in Mexican-Americans,
but is detected in the 90th percentile in Blacks
and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
|
| White |
|
70.1 |
2,2'3,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 146)
|
Black |
|
28.1 |
PCB 146 is detected
at the 90th percentile in Blacks.
PCB 146 is not detected in Mexican-Americans
or Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
|
| White |
|
|
2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 153)
|
Black |
|
176 |
The PCB 153 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 261%
greater in Mexican-Americans and Whites.
PCB 153 is detected in the 95th
percentile in Mexican-Americans, 90th percentile
in Whites, and 75th percentile in Blacks.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
67.5 |
| White |
|
102 |
2,3,3',4,4',5-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 156)
|
Black |
|
21.6 |
The PCB 156 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 24% greater
than in Whites.
PCB 156 is not detected in Mexican-Americans,
but is detected in the 90th percentile in Blacks
and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
|
| White |
|
17.4 |
2,3,3',4,4',5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 157)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,3',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 167)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
2,2',3,3',4,4',5-Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 170)
|
Black |
|
39.6 |
The PCB 170 level
in Blacks is up to 71% greater than in Mexican-Americans and
Whites.
PCB 170 is found in the 95th
percentile in Mexican-Americans and the 90th
percentile in Blacks and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
23.2 |
| White |
|
31.0 |
2,2',3,3',4,5,5'-Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 172)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
| 2,2',3,3',4,5',6'-
Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 177)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
| 2,2',3,3',5,5',6
Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 178)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
| 2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-
Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 180)
|
Black |
|
117 |
The PCB 180 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 207%
greater than in Mexican-Americans and Whites.
PCB 180 is detected at the 90th
percentile in Mexican-Americans and the 75th
percentile in Blacks and Whites.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
56.6 |
| White |
|
79.0 |
| 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-
Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 183)
|
Not detected in up to 5% of U.S.
population |
| 2,2',3,4',5,5',6-
Heptachlorobiphenyl
(PCB 187)
|
Black |
|
47.1 |
The PCB 187 level
in Blacks at the 95th percentile is up to 272%
greater than Mexican-Americans and Whites.
PCB 187 is detected at the 95th
percentile in Mexican-Americans, the 90th percentile
in Whites, and the 75th percentile in Blacks.
|
| Mexican-American |
|
17.3 |
| White |
|
22.0 |
|
