Table 1 List of published locations and PCB concentrations in various mining environments found by the authors after intense literature and internet reviews

Phosphate mine connector wells, Florida, USA, 8 locations

1980

0.00 mg L⁻¹ (US EPA); 0.00 µg L⁻¹ (Kimrey et al.)

not specified: “PCB, Total”

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency [245], Kimrey et al. [123]

Lohberg colliery, Germany, Rheinpreußen shafts

1986

4000 (Lohberg), 9000 (Rheinpreußen)

not specified

Schwarzbauer et al. [221]

Ruhr Area (66 collieries), Germany

1986

 < 10–5400

6 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 153, 138, 180)

Poppe et al. [195]

Pennsylvania, USA, 7 locations

1988

“The analytical results from the pesticide and PCB testing did not indicate any unusual problems”; “The present FDA. action level of 2.0 ppm [in fish] was not approached”

not specified

Arway [12]

Ibbenbüren, Germany

1988–1991

10–314

not specified

Klinger et al. [125]

Ruhr Area, Germany, 17 locations

1990

 < 10–610

6 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 153, 138, 180)

Jäger et al. [111]

Ruhr Area, Germany, 12 locations

1991

 < 10–120

not specified

mine operator, listed in Schwarzbauer et al. [221]

US EPA

2000

PCBs listed as contaminants of potential concern; until banned “the mining industry has traditionally used high levels of PCBs”; “PCBs […] have been identified in soils near mine waste sites”; “PCBs may be found at some historic mine sites, but are not a threat at most sites.”

not specified

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency [246]

Příbram, mine № 19, Czech Republic

2004

18

6 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180)

Kalous et al. [119]

12th mine of Pingdingshan and Yanma colliery, China

2004

145 (Pingdingshan), 106 (Yanma bottom), 138 (Yanma roof)

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

He [96]

Gold King Mine, USA

2015

110–240 per Aroclor mixture (reported values correspond to the method’s estimated detection limits)

Aroclors 1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260

MEC^X Aurora [168]

Ibbenbüren, Germany, 3 locations

2015

 < 0.002–0.5

2 (PCBs 28, 52), the concentration in the water phase was calculated from the concentration in suspended solids

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [137]

Ruhr Area, 11 locations

2015

 < 0.002–2.0

2 (PCBs 28, 52), the concentration in the water phase was calculated from the concentration in suspended solids

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [137]

Ibbenbüren, Germany, 1 location^a

2015–2016

0.6

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [136]

Ruhr Area, Germany, 4 locations^a

2015–2017

0.1–6.4

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [136]

Ruhr Area, Germany, 3 locations

2015–2018

0.1–9

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

Mittelstädt et al. [175]

Ibbenbüren, Germany, 1 location (different sampling times)^b

2016

0.9

2.1–5.4

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

9 (PCBs 4 + 10, 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [136], Rahm et al. [200]

Ruhr Area, Germany, 3 locations

Ruhr Area, Germany, 4 locations^b

2016, 2017

2016

0.3–29

0.1–0.7

0.2–0.8

6 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180)

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

9 (PCBs 4 + 10, 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

Schwarzbauer et al. [221]

Landesamt für Natur‚ Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW et al. [136], Rahm et al. [200]

Minden, Fayette County, WV, USA, 7 locations (monitoring wells and mine outfalls)

2018

0.04–3700

209 (all congeners)

Weston Solutions Inc. [268]

Ruhr Area, Saarland, Germany, 5 locations

2020–2022

2.5–11

20–120

7 (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180)

58 (PCBs 1–21, 24, 26–28, 30–33, 38, 44, 49, 52, 53, 61, 62, 65, 77, 85, 99, 101, 105, 110, 116, 118, 128, 138, 146, 149, 153, 156, 167, 170, 180, 183, 187, 189, 194) + biphenyl (not included in provided concentrations)

Wiltschka et al. [270, 271]