PCBs Found in Indiana Harbor
Keri C. Hornbuckle, Ph.D.
University of Iowa
P42ES013661
University of Iowa researchers supported by the Superfund Research Program report finding polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal in East Chicago, Indiana.
The canal is part of the Calumet River that flows out of Lake Michigan. It will be dredged in the near future to maintain the proper depth for large ship traffic, but scientists and policy makers aren't sure whether dredging will help the estuary by removing the PCBs or hurt the environment by stirring them up. The banks of the canal have been the site of heavy industrial operations for many years.
PCBs are a class of organic compounds that were used for decades in many applications including electrical transformers, capacitors, and coolants. Estimates of PCB production total 1.5 million tons between 1930 and 1977. All uses of PCBs were banned by the U.S. Congress in 1979, but because of their stable chemical structure and persistence, their presence in water and sediments continues to be a source of contamination for fish and wildlife and humans. PCBs are known to cause a wide variety of adverse health effects including cancer, immune dysfunction, neurodevelopmental disorders in children, and other effects associated with endocrine disruption.
The dredging project will remove the sediment from the canal and dispose of it nearby in a confined disposal facility. The researchers think that it is quite possible that the dredging will provide a major improvement to the local environment by removing the PCBs and thus prevent the exposure of fish and wildlife. However, the possibility also exists that the dredging will increase the availability and mobility of the PCBs. This project provides a unique opportunity to study the effectiveness of the project and will provide insights for the cleanup of other contaminated sites.
Citation: Martinez A, Wang K, Hornbuckle KC. Fate of PCB Congeners in an Industrial Harbor of Lake Michigan (dagger). Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Feb 4.
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