Presented by Dr. David Carpenter, University of Albany
Most people think that exposure to PCBs comes from eating contaminated fish and other animal fats. That is true. But PCBs are semi-volatile compounds and they vaporize into the air as well. When that happens one can be exposed simply by breathing. PCBs are a mixture of chemicals with varying numbers of chlorines around biphenyl rings. Those PCBs that tend to be in foods on average are highly chlorinated and very persistent. Those PCBs with fewer chlorines are more volatile and less persistent in the human body. But we breathe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and, even if these lower chlorinated PCBs don’t stay in the body as long, people may be constantly exposed and the PCBs may do great damage. This webinar focuses on sources of volatile PCBs, how they spread from their sources, and what specific adverse health effects have been found to occur in humans after inhalation of PCBs.
Watch the Webinar
Volatile PCBs: Sources, Spread and Health Effects from UW-SRP on Vimeo.
Presented by the Northwest Toxic Communities Coalition & the University of Washington Superfund Research Program.