How did the PCBs get to the hudson river before they were banned?

Question

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs)

Answer 1

General Electric used to manufacture electrical components at a facility on the Hudson.  PCBs were used in transformer oil (a common practice before it was known what PCBs would do).  The PCBs were discharged in the wastewaters generated from processing.

Answer 2

The 1940s saw Monsanto become a leading manufacturer of plastics, including polystyrene, and synthetic fibers. Since then, it has remained one of the top 10 US chemical companies. Other major products have included the herbicides 2,4,5-T and Agent Orange), aspartame (NutraSweet), bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone; BST), and PCBs.

PCBs were used as the insulating oil in millions of electric transformers and some are still in use. When these transformers leak or explode, they release PCBs into the environment. This is just one way the get into the rivers.