TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) A1 - Durrani, Timur S. A2 - Olson, Kent R. A2 - Anderson, Ilene B. A2 - Benowitz, Neal L. A2 - Blanc, Paul D. A2 - Clark, Richard F. A2 - Kearney, Thomas E. A2 - Kim-Katz, Susan Y. A2 - Wu, Alan H. B. PY - 2018 T2 - Poisoning & Drug Overdose, 7e AB - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are mixtures of up to 209 different chlorinated compounds that once were used widely as high-temperature insulators for transformers and other electric equipment. They were also found in carbonless copy papers, inks, paints, caulks, sealants and ceiling tiles. Many commercial PCB mixtures are known in the United States by the trade name Aroclor. Since 1974, all uses in the United States have been confined to closed systems. Most PCB poisonings are chronic occupational or environmental exposures, with delayed-onset symptoms the first indication that an exposure has occurred. In 1977, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned further manufacturing of PCBs because they are suspected carcinogens and highly persistent in the environment. Exposure occurs through the consumption of meat, fish, and dairy because of biomagnification up the food chain, as well as by inhalation in contaminated indoor or outdoor environments. PCBs were widely used in building materials from 1950s to 1979, and remain present in buildings that were constructed or renovated during that period. Since many schools in use today were built or renovated during that era, they present a potential risk of exposure to children and staff. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1174606878 ER -