A state-of-the-science review of polychlorinated biphenyl exposures at background levels: Relative contributions of exposure routes

Weitekamp, Chelsea A.; Phillips, Linda; Carlson, Laura M.; Hubal, Elaine A. Cohen; Lehmann, Geniece M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145912

Cited by 31 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…However, states may require schools to evaluate airborne PCBs at lower levels using different criteria than the EPA’s, and parent organizations and teachers’ unions may pressure school districts or municipalities to remediate PCBs in their schools. , Additionally, there is evidence that this EPA advisory should not be considered the standard remediation threshold. Weitekamp et al found the rate of exposure to background PCBs through indoor air (i.e., in buildings built after 1979) for children 2–12 years old is two to four times that of adults due to the time children spend in school buildings; this is likely an underestimate for many children given the higher levels of contamination in some schools. − Ultimately exposure depends on the amount of time spent inside and an individual’s age and body weight, in addition to indoor air concentration …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14−16 Ultimately exposure depends on the amount of time spent inside and an individual's age and body weight, in addition to indoor air concentration. 14 Besides Aroclors, modern PCB sources may exist in overlooked classroom materials such as books, construction paper, and printers due to the pigments that are used in their production. 4,17,18 These Aroclor and non-Aroclor sources contribute to airborne PCBs in schools.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Room-to-Room Variability of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Schools and the Application of Air Sampling for Targeted Source Evaluation

Bannavti

Jahnke

Marek

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Airborne polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations are higher indoors than outdoors due to their historical use in building materials and their presence in modern paints and surface treatments. For some populations, including school children, PCB levels indoors result in inhalation exposures that may be greater than or equivalent to exposure through diet. In a school, PCB exposure may come from multiple sources. We hypothesized that there are both Aroclor and non-Aroclor sources within a single school and that PCB concentration and congener profiles differ among rooms within a single building. To evaluate this hypothesis and to identify potential localized sources, we measured airborne PCBs in nine rooms in a school. We found that schoolroom concentrations exceed outdoor air concentrations. Schoolroom concentrations and congener profiles also varied from one room to another. The concentrations were highest in the math room (35.75 ng m–3 ± 8.08) and lowest in the practice gym (1.54 ng m–3 ± 0.35). Rooms in the oldest wing of the building, originally constructed between 1920 and 1970, had the highest concentrations. The congener distribution patterns indicate historic use of Aroclor 1254 as well as modern sources of non-Aroclor congeners associated with paint pigments and surface coatings. Our findings suggest this noninvasive source identification method presents an opportunity for targeted source testing for more cost-effective prioritization of materials remediation in schools.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Room-to-Room Variability of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Schools and the Application of Air Sampling for Targeted Source Evaluation

Bannavti

Jahnke

Marek

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…The other possible exposure routes (dermal contact and ingestion of dust) do not contribute significantly to the overall PCB exposure [41]. If the decrease in PCB concentrations in food observed in the last years continues, PCB inhalation could become comparable to dietary exposure in the near future [48].…”

Section: Routes For Human Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to point sources, PCBs can be transported for long distances via deposition and resuspension processes (i.e., dry fallout and vapor deposition) that can be described as the grasshopper effect [ 39 , 40 ]. Human exposure to PCBs can derive from different sources, such as dietary intake, inhalation, ingestion of dust and dermal contact [ 41 ]. In Figure 2 are shown the main routes for the release of PCBs into the environment and relative human exposure routes.…”

Section: Human Exposure and Bioaccumulation Of Pcbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Environment: Occupational and Exposure Events, Effects on Human Health and Fertility

Montano

Pironti

Pinto

et al. 2022

Toxics

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In the last decade or so, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) garnered renewed attention in the scientific community due to new evidence pointing at their continued presence in the environment and workplaces and the potential human risks related to their presence. PCBs move from the environment to humans through different routes; the dominant pathway is the ingestion of contaminated foods (fish, seafood and dairy products), followed by inhalation (both indoor and outdoor air), and, to a lesser extent, dust ingestion and dermal contact. Numerous studies reported the environmental and occupational exposure to these pollutants, deriving from building materials (flame-retardants, plasticizers, paints, caulking compounds, sealants, fluorescent light ballasts, etc.) and electrical equipment. The highest PCBs contaminations were detected in e-waste recycling sites, suggesting the need for the implementation of remediation strategies of such polluted areas to safeguard the health of workers and local populations. Furthermore, a significant correlation between PCB exposure and increased blood PCB concentrations was observed in people working in PCB-contaminated workplaces. Several epidemiological studies suggest that environmental and occupational exposure to high concentrations of PCBs is associated with different health outcomes, such as neuropsychological and neurobehavioral deficits, dementia, immune system dysfunctions, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In addition, recent studies indicate that PCBs bioaccumulation can reduce fertility, with harmful effects on the reproductive system that can be passed to offspring. In the near future, further studies are needed to assess the real effects of PCBs exposure at low concentrations for prolonged exposure in workplaces and specific indoor environments.

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“… 21 Furthermore, indoor air PCB concentrations were found to be the main factor affecting blood levels of PCBs via inhalation. 21 , 24 , 25 This was also indicated by later research modeling dietary intake and inhalation exposures with detected serum PCB and OH-PCB levels, where PCB inhalation exposures (especially for lower-chlorinated volatile congeners) for some children were greater than their dietary exposure. 26 Other AESOP Study results have shown that PCBs in meat and dairy products were the major sources of dietary exposure to PCBs in these two study populations, and there were strong associations among the identified PCB congener distributions and those PCBs present in Aroclors and in nonlegacy sources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

PCB Sulfates in Serum from Mothers and Children in Urban and Rural U.S. Communities

Zhang

Saktrakulkla

Marek

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Serum samples from 24 subjects (6 mother–daughter and 6 mother–son dyads) in a rural community (Columbus Junction, Iowa) and 24 subjects (6 mother–daughter and 6 mother–son dyads) in an urban community (East Chicago, Indiana) were analyzed for 74 sulfated metabolites of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). We detected significantly higher mean concentrations of total assessed PCB sulfates in the urban group (110–8900 ng/g fresh weight of serum, mean = 3400 ng/g, standard error = 300) than in the rural cohort (530–6700 ng/g fresh weight of serum, mean = 1800 ng/g, standard error = 500). Eight PCB sulfate congeners (4-PCB 2 sulfate, 4′-PCB 2 sulfate, 2′-PCB 3 sulfate, 4′-PCB 3 sulfate, 4-PCB 11 sulfate, 4′-PCB 18 sulfate, 4′-PCB 25 sulfate, and 4-PCB 52 sulfate) contributed over 90% of the total assessed PCB sulfates in most individuals. The serum samples were enriched in PCB sulfates with fewer than 5 chlorine atoms, and this congener distribution differed from those of PCBs and hydroxylated PCBs in previous studies in the same communities. Regression analysis indicated several significant congener-specific correlations in mother–child dyads, and these relationships differed by location and by mother–daughter or mother–son dyads. This is the first study reporting a broad range of PCB sulfates in populations from urban and rural areas.

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A state-of-the-science review of polychlorinated biphenyl exposures at background levels: Relative contributions of exposure routes

Cited by 31 publications

References 38 publications

Room-to-Room Variability of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Schools and the Application of Air Sampling for Targeted Source Evaluation

Room-to-Room Variability of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Schools and the Application of Air Sampling for Targeted Source Evaluation

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Environment: Occupational and Exposure Events, Effects on Human Health and Fertility

PCB Sulfates in Serum from Mothers and Children in Urban and Rural U.S. Communities

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