What are the Ohio VAP soil standards for PCBs?

Under the February 2025 CIDARS, Total PCBs have a residential soil GDCSS of 410 mg/kg, a commercial/industrial GDCSS of 15 mg/kg, and a construction worker GDCSS of 27 mg/kg. Individual Aroclors have their own standards, with Aroclor 1254 being the most restrictive at 42 mg/kg residential and 5.3 mg/kg commercial/industrial.

What is the difference between individual Aroclor standards and Total PCB standards?

CIDARS lists standards for both individual Aroclors (1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260) and Total PCBs. The Total PCB standard applies when results are reported as total PCBs. When individual Aroclors are reported, each is compared to its own standard. Labs may report results either way depending on the analytical method.

Are DDT and its breakdown products still relevant?

Yes. DDT, DDE, and DDD persist in soil for decades after application ceased. They are commonly detected at agricultural properties, orchards, and former pesticide mixing/loading areas. DDT has a residential GDCSS of 1,100 mg/kg and commercial/industrial GDCSS of 130 mg/kg.

Why is Lindane's residential standard lower than its commercial/industrial standard?

Lindane (gamma-HCH) has a residential GDCSS of 1.6 mg/kg driven by its soil saturation limit in the residential scenario, while the commercial/industrial GDCSS of 39 mg/kg is based on cancer risk. This is unusual but occurs when a compound's physical properties limit its concentration in soil at a level below the risk-based standard for the more restrictive land use.

Ohio VAP Soil Standards - Pesticides and PCBs

Overview

These are the Ohio VAP generic direct-contact soil standards (GDCSS) for pesticides, herbicides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the CIDARS database, effective February 16, 2025 with the updated VAP rules.

Pesticide and PCB contamination is common at former agricultural properties, orchards, manufacturing facilities, electrical transformer sites, and properties with historical pest control operations. These compounds are persistent in soil - many remain detectable decades after their use was banned or restricted.

The table below shows the GDCSS values - the lower of the non-cancer and cancer-based standards for each land use category.

Generic Direct Contact Soil Standards - Pesticides and PCBs

Showing 52 of 52 chemicals

Chemical	CAS Number	Residential (mg/kg)	Commercial/Industrial (mg/kg)
Alachlor	15972-60-8	190	1,300
Aldicarb	116-06-3	130	2,500
Aldicarb Sulfone	1646-88-4	130	2,500
Aldrin	309-00-2	0.7916	7.2
Aroclor 1016	12674-11-2	8.2	150
Aroclor 1221	11104-28-2	3.9468	22
Aroclor 1232	11141-16-5	3.7	20
Aroclor 1242	53469-21-9	4.6	27
Aroclor 1248	12672-29-6	4.6	27
Aroclor 1254	11097-69-1	2.3	28
Aroclor 1260	11096-82-5	4.8	28
Atrazine	1912-24-9	47	310
Benomyl	17804-35-2	6,300	130,000
Captan	133-06-2	4,700	31,000
Carbaryl	63-25-2	13,000	250,000
Carbofuran	1563-66-2	630	13,000
Chlordane	12789-03-6	34	260
Chlordecone (Kepone)	143-50-0	1.0851	7.1
Chlorpyrifos	2921-88-2	130	2,500
DDD	72-54-8	45	300
DDE, p,p'-	72-55-9	40	360
DDT	50-29-3	38	310
Diazinon	333-41-5	88	1,800
Dicamba	1918-00-9	3,800	76,000
Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid, 2,4-	94-75-7	1,400	33,000
Dichlorvos	62-73-7	37	240
Dieldrin	60-57-1	0.6782	4.4
Dimethoate	60-51-5	280	5,600
Dinoseb	88-85-7	130	2,500
Disulfoton	298-04-4	5.1	100
Diuron	330-54-1	250	5,100
Endosulfan	115-29-7	940	28,000
Endrin	72-20-8	38	760
Ethion	563-12-2	63	1,300
Glyphosate	1071-83-6	13,000	250,000
Guthion	86-50-0	380	7,600
Heptachlor	76-44-8	2.8	23
Heptachlor Epoxide	1024-57-3	1.4322	13
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Alpha-	319-84-6	1.7224	11
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Beta-	319-85-7	6.0284	39
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Gamma- (Lindane)	58-89-9	11	89
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Technical	608-73-1	6	39
Malathion	121-75-5	2,500	51,000
Methoxychlor	72-43-5	630	13,000
Methyl Parathion	298-00-0	32	630
Parathion	56-38-2	760	15,000
Pentachloronitrobenzene	82-68-8	42	270
Picloram	1918-02-1	8,800	180,000
Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Total	1336-36-3	4.6	27
Simazine	122-34-9	90	590
Toxaphene	8001-35-2	9.9	64
Trifluralin	1582-09-8	1,200	17,000

PCBs - Aroclors

PCBs are listed in CIDARS as individual Aroclor mixtures and as Total PCBs. Aroclors are commercial PCB mixtures identified by a four-digit number where the last two digits indicate the approximate chlorine content by weight (e.g., Aroclor 1254 is approximately 54% chlorine).

Aroclor 1254 has the lowest residential GDCSS of the Aroclors at 2.3 mg/kg, driven by both its non-cancer and cancer toxicity. At commercial/industrial land use its GDCSS is 28 mg/kg, while Aroclor 1232 is lower at 20 mg/kg and Aroclor 1221 is lower at 22 mg/kg - so check the specific Aroclor against the land use that applies rather than assuming 1254 controls. When evaluating PCB-contaminated soil, always compare results to both the individual Aroclor standard and the Total PCB standard.

PCB contamination is most commonly associated with:

Electrical transformer and capacitor sites
Hydraulic equipment areas
Former manufacturing facilities using PCB-containing oils
Properties near electrical substations

Key Pesticide Compounds

Organochlorines (Persistent)

The organochlorine pesticides are the most environmentally persistent compounds in this table. They were widely used from the 1940s through the 1970s and remain detectable in soil at many properties.

Aldrin/Dieldrin - Aldrin converts to dieldrin in the environment. Dieldrin is the more restrictive compound with a commercial/industrial GDCSS of 4.4 mg/kg.
DDT/DDE/DDD - DDT breaks down to DDE and DDD. All three should be analyzed. DDT commercial/industrial GDCSS is 310 mg/kg.
Chlordane - Widely used for termite control until 1988. Commercial/industrial GDCSS of 260 mg/kg. Very common at residential properties built before 1988.
Heptachlor/Heptachlor Epoxide - Heptachlor converts to heptachlor epoxide, which is more toxic. Epoxide commercial/industrial GDCSS of 13 mg/kg.
Toxaphene - Commercial/industrial GDCSS of 64 mg/kg. Used extensively on cotton and livestock.

Organophosphates

Organophosphate pesticides are less persistent than organochlorines but more acutely toxic. They are less commonly encountered at environmental sites because they degrade relatively quickly.

Chlorpyrifos - residential GDCSS of 130 mg/kg. Still commonly used; less persistent in soil.
Malathion - residential GDCSS of 2,500 mg/kg. Relatively low toxicity compared to other OPs.
Methyl Parathion - residential GDCSS of 32 mg/kg. More toxic than malathion.

Herbicides

2,4-D - residential GDCSS of 1,400 mg/kg. The standard is far above the organochlorine values, reflecting relatively low toxicity.
Atrazine - residential GDCSS of 47 mg/kg. Common groundwater contaminant in agricultural areas.
Glyphosate - residential GDCSS of 13,000 mg/kg. Binds strongly to soil; rarely a soil cleanup issue.

Practical Notes

PCBs require specialized disposal. PCB-contaminated soil above 50 mg/kg is regulated under TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) and must be disposed of at a TSCA-approved facility. This is independent of the VAP GDCSS values.
Organochlorine pesticides travel together. If you detect chlordane, look for DDT, aldrin/dieldrin, and heptachlor - they were often applied at the same properties during the same era.
Lab methods matter for PCBs. EPA Method 8082 reports individual Aroclors. Some labs also offer congener-specific analysis, which provides more detailed characterization but is more expensive. Confirm with your lab what reporting format will be provided.
Historical agricultural use is a common source of pesticide contamination. Phase I assessments should investigate prior agricultural operations, orchards, and livestock operations as potential sources.
Termite treatment history is a major source of chlordane contamination at residential and commercial properties. Chlordane was applied around building foundations from the 1950s through 1988 and persists in soil at these locations.