Polychlorinated biphenyls environmental persistence

No observed adverse effect level Polychlorinated biphenyls - used as cooling agent in transformers because of low flammability. Now banned because of their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation in fat of many species including whales and humans... 

The polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, coplanar biphenyls) have been used in a large variety of applications as dielectric and heat transfer fluids, lubricating oils, plasticizers, wax extenders, and flame retardants. Their industrial use and manufacture in the USA were terminated by 1977. Unfortunately, PCBs persist in the environment. The products used commercially were actually mixtures of PCB isomers and homologs containing 12-68% chlorine. These chemicals are highly stable and highly lipophilic, poorly metabolized, and very resistant to environmental degradation they bioaccumulate in food chains. Food is the major source of PCB residues in humans. 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been known for sometime as persistent pollutants, which can be readily bioaccumulated through the food chain causing well-documented toxic effects in number of species including humans [191]. Consequently, PCBs are commonly routinely monitored as potential industrial pollutants. Due to their environmental persistence and toxicity, detection limits in the ng ml-1 region are generally required. Consequently, such work has generally required solvent or solid extraction and concentration steps prior to separation by GC in conjunction with electron capture detection, or mass... 

Washington Efforts to enhance environmental monitoring and analyses of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as other persistent toxicants. 

Another notable class of persistent organohalide compounds is the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) class, discussed in Section 16.4. Widely used in industrial applications, these compounds have become widespread and persistent environmental pollutants. The compound 2,3,7,8-tetrachlo-rodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), commonly known as dioxin, discussed in Section 16.6, is an extremely persistent manufacturing by-product that has caused significant environmental problems. 

In this volume of Issues we address the sources, environmental cycles, uptake, consequences and control of many of the more important chlorinated organic micropollutants. Under this heading we have included a range of semi-volatile persistent compounds, notably polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) as well as a number of chlorinated pesticides. We have not sought to include volatile species such as CFCs which cause environmental problems of an entirely different nature. The compounds included in this volume cause no threat to the stratospheric ozone layer, but have given widespread cause for concern in relation to their environmental persistence and high toxicity, and their potential for adverse effects on humans and wildlife. 

Hamer, T., Shoeib, M., et al. (2004) Using passive air samplers to assess urban-mral trends for persistent organic pollutants. 1. Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides. Environmental Science and Technology, 38(17) 4474 483. 

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