ABSTRACT
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) are a family of chemicals manufactured in the United States from 1930 to 1975. PCB were used in a number of throw-away applications and also extensively employed as an electrical insulating fluid. Environmental concerns have lead to strict controls on the use of PCB and standards for cleanup of PCB discharges. The purpose of this chapter is to present information from several typical PCB discharges and data on chemical and physical characteristics of these chemicals. From this, light is shed on the mechanisms of their movement in the subsurface. PCB are relatively insoluble, viscous, and display a strong tendency toward adsorption on soil particles. Their movement through the subsurface is limited by these characteristics such that penetration occurs to a limited depth in formations which have cracks or other connected void spaces. Examination of these histories of discharges of PCB from electrical equipment and manufacturers support this thesis.
