X-Nico

9 unusual facts about polychlorinated biphenyl


Bennett Environmental

It specializes in the recovering of soils contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons, including PCBs and PCPs, Dioxins and Furans.

Community Against Pollution

During a period of around 36 years from 1935 to 1971, there were about five million pounds of PCBs produced and released.

Detroit Statler Hotel

The building's structure required the onsite treatment of 750,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated water following demolition.

Harbour porpoise

Marine top predators like porpoises and seals accumulate pollutants such as heavy metals, PCBs and pesticides in their fat tissue.

Judarn

Its isolated location combined with low levels of chlorophyll makes Judarn one of the clearest lakes in Stockholm, and notwithstanding low levels of oxygen nutrient content is low even during winters, with raised levels of PAH and PCB in deep sediments.

Krupa, Semič

This river is infamous because of its PCB pollution due to improper handling of PCB waste material which has been used for decades by the capacitor manufacturing company Iskra kondenzatorji in nearby Semič.

Puddefjorden

Long term industry has had an environmental effect on the fjord, and its sediment has become polluted with PCB and mercury.

Shipbreakers

An impoverished third world shantytown of 40,000 on the Arabian Sea, Alang also has few environmental or safety restrictions to protect the villagers who dismantle the ships (which have been run aground on the beach) from workplace dangers and toxic substances such as PCBs and asbestos.

Zilwaukee Bridge

Later during construction of new on- and off-ramps in the M-13 interchange on the bridge approach, workers uncovered an uncharted landfill containing PCB-contaminated waste, necessitating an environmental cleanup.


Aryl hydrocarbon receptor

The first ligands to be discovered were synthetic and members of the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (3-methylcholanthrene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzanthracenes and benzoflavones).

Bamako Convention

The barrels, found in storage in the port of Lagos, contained toxic waste including polychlorinated biphenyls, and their eventual shipment back to Italy led to protests closing three Italian ports.

Igelbäcken

While levels of cadmium, copper, zinc, and nickel were reported as increased in ditches draining these deposits, levels of oil, PCB, and chlorinated hydrocarbons were reported as insignificant.

Plastic particle water pollution

For example, concentrations of PCBs and DDE on nurdles collected from Japanese coastal waters were found to be up to 1 million times higher than the levels detected in surrounding seawater.

Toxic Equivalency Factor

Based on mechanistic considerations, PCB 37, PBDDs, PBDFs, PXCDDs, PXCDFs, PCNs, PBNs and PBBs can be included in the TEF concept.


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