by Shane Henson — October 25, 2013—The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has issued a White Paper on PCBs in the Built Environment in response to the growing evidence that emissions from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in both vapor and particulate matter form emanate from PCB-containing products in the building environment. In most cases, building owners and occupants are not even aware of the existence of these materials and their potential hazards, the organization says.
“This document provides a comprehensive overview of PCBs in the built environment, evaluates the exposure potential for occupants and personnel, and identifies gaps in the current knowledge base that would help occupational and environmental health professionals to better understand the public health risk from PCBs in building materials,” said Jack Springston, editor of the white paper and chair of AIHA’s Indoor Environmental Quality Committee.
PCBs are a group of man-made chemicals that were manufactured in the United States from the late 1920s until 1979. They were used in many building materials, particularly caulking, grout, expansion joint material, and paint, from 1950 to 1978. PCB exposures, which can occur in the building environment from direct contact, volatilization, deterioration, and disturbance of PCB-containing materials, have been associated with a number of health effects such as damage to the hepatic, endocrine, dermal/ocular, immunological, neurological, and reproductive systems.
