The Environment - What Are Pcbs?

What are PCBs?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of compounds that were manufactured in the United States from 1929 until 1977. They were widely used in the electrical industry as a coolant for transformers and in capacitors and other electrical devices. PCBs do not break down in nature and spread through the water, soil, and air.

In the mid 1970s, PCBs were found to cause a variety of health and environmental problems. They have been linked to cancer and reproductive disorders and have been shown to cause liver function abnormalities. The U.S. government banned PCBs in 1977. Since that time, the manufacture and use of PCBs has been restricted throughout most of the world.

Sources: Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th ed., vol. 5, p. 844; Schweitzer, Glenn E. Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time, pp. 9-10.

[The entire page is 149 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass