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tiAp'h t I ' S F ct She t Noul 3 . a 0110 0000 ,11 WEVelvation System & Information Service 0 3151 Berkeley Way Berkeley, CA 94704 Q 415-540-M38 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) PCBs(polychlorinated biphenyls)have been widely used since the 1930s,because of their excellent electrical- and temperot-ure-insulatiq abilities. For many years, PCBs were considered to be al- most non-tam sous there were very few reports of illness even among in til wo who were exposed to fairly large amounts.In 1978,the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)began to im- pose bars on PCB manufacturing and sales and on most PCB uses Nevertheless,it is still possible for workers to be exposed to PCBs,either through servicing and handling equipment that contains PCBs, or as a result of leaks,spills, and fires. This fact sheet answers some of the most frequently d questions about PCBs. a Why did the EPA ban PCBs? ability of PCBs to persist in the environment and accumulate in the body and the food chain. The toxic effects of PCBs first drew attention in 2968,when over 1200 people in Japan were . Where are PCBs found? poisoned byeating food cooked in oil that was heavily contaminated with PCBs and other PCBs were used mainly m electrical trans- chemicals.This caused illnesses which became formers and capacitors,heat transfer systems,and known as Yusho(rice oil)disease.Soon afterward, carbonless systems.They were also used in inks and carbonless coPY Paper and for a variety of other studies showed that PCBs cause cancer in test animals.Therefore,it is considered likely that purposes,but the EPA ban now proL•lbiits almost PCBs can cause cancer in humans all of these other uses.Nowadays,PCBs are found But why were PCBs banned,while many other mostly in transformers and capacitors.These may chemicals which also cause cancer in test animals be contained in industrial equipment(such as were not?PCBs remain in the environment for a welding equipment),medical equipment(such as long time,because they do not break down.Also, X-ray machines),and household appliances(such their elimination from the body is very slow,so that as refrigerators and microwave ovens). levels in body tissue may increase with lima Thus, The ballasts of some fluorescent light fixtures contain PCBs.During normal operation of a PCBs build up is the food chain,so that the fish and animals we cat could contain ' t fluorescent light,the PCBs are entirely enclosed, and you cannot be exposed to them.However, amounts. when the capacitor wears out,sometimes it may In short,the thing that sets PCBs apart from burn or break and leak PCBs. then equally toxic industrial chemicals is the