PCBs in school-persistent chemicals, persistent problems.
The issue of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) exposures resulting from occupancy of PCB-contaminated buildings is not new, but the contribution of building materials to that contamination is largely unrecognized. A rapidly emerging base of evidence shows that PCBs can be widely found in caulking and paint in masonry buildings constructed or renovated from about 1950 to the late 1970s. These materials can cause extensive PCB contamination of the building interiors and surrounding soil, and people who teach, live, or attend school in these buildings can have elevated serum PCB levels. The potential risk associated with this source of PCB exposure is not known; however, it is worth noting that the specific PCB congeners found at high levels in the building environments, and in biological samples from the occupants, include some that are suspected of being potent neurotoxins. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to address this issue in schools; however, the costs of remediating contaminated buildings will pose a formidable obstacle to most school districts.
Herrick
Robert F
RF
Harvard School of Public Health, Dept. of Environmental Health, Landmark Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. herrick@hsph.harvard.edu
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004782:Environmental Health; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007750:Labor Unions; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls