Environmental PCB forensics: processes and issues
2020
Erickson, Mitchell D.
PCB forensic science is the process of identifying the source(s) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at a site in the context of a legal proceeding to aid in identifying the party(s) responsible for the cost of environmental remediation. The PCB forensic scientist should assemble and examine all the evidence and then develop opinions about sources, discharges, deposition, fate, transport, environmental impact, and other issues at dispute among the parties. PCBs are complex mixtures of compounds (Aroclors in USA) that can simultaneously reveal information about the source of the contamination, but also provide confounding and contradictory evidence. The issues are technically complex and the expert must systematically evaluate the facts, employ deep technical expertise, and use dispassionate judgment to provide expert opinions that assist the judge, jury, arbitrator, or allocator in rendering their decision as to the responsible party(s) or an apportionment of that responsibility. Different PCB products were used and disposed of that have characteristic congener mixture profiles. In the environment, these profiles can mix and weather over decades. Sampling and analysis can generate further uncertainties, notably the possible misidentification of Aroclors. The expert’s challenge is to present their opinions clearly and authoritatively without overrepresenting the facts and data. This paper focuses on PCB contamination of sediment in aqueous sediment and uses a case study to illustrate application of forensic principles.
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