title: Accidental exposure of children to polychlorinated biphenyls.
abstract: Children exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) while playing with parts of a capacitor had elevated serum concentrations of lower chlorinated PCBs, similar to Arochlor 1242. These levels declined over 11 months of followup to about half their initial values, from a mean of 12.9 to 6.3 ppb (parts per billion, ng/mL) among four children. In comparison, other persons in the same household and a reference group of persons seen in the same geographic area had serum levels of Aroclor 1242-like PCBs below the limit of detection (less than 5 ppb). All three groups--the children, household members, and geographic referents--also had higher chlorinated PCBs in their serum similar to Aroclor 1260 (HPCBs). HPCB concentrations were similar in these groups (approximately 2 ppb) and did not decline significantly.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schecter
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls