Where in the US have the highest PCB concentrations been documented?

Waukegan Harbor is known to have some of the highest concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) documented in the United States. This area has a history of industrial contamination, particularly due to former manufacturing activities that released PCBs into the environment.

In addition, Waukegan Harbor has been a focus of remediation efforts and environmental studies that have highlighted the levels of PCBs present in the sediment and water, reflecting the severe pollution issues experienced in specific industrial regions. Such localized contamination spots, particularly in industrial areas, are often where scientists and environmental health specialists discover heightened concentrations of hazardous materials like PCBs, which can remain in the environment for extended periods due to their chemical stability.

While New York, the Hudson River, and Lake Michigan have also experienced PCB contamination, Waukegan Harbor’s documented data illustrates particularly high concentrations directly linked to the area's industrial legacy. Therefore, this focus on Waukegan Harbor makes it a significant point of reference when discussing PCB contamination in the U.S.