Non-dioxin-like+Polychlorinated+Biphenyls


 * Laura Kriss**

__**Non-dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls**__

__**Abstract **__

Polychlorinated biphenyls were used in things such as electric insulating in the 1970’’s. They are in a class of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon chemicals. PCB’s were used in many things that people were around everyday such as food, which could be hazardous. But after only 9 years of extreme use PCB’s were banned in 1979. But it was only banned in the United States. The chemicals that make up PCB’s was very persistent in the environment that is one reason that it banned. Babies are exposed to PCB’s when they are breast feed because the mother most likely ate something with PCB’s in them. Also the heat from fires can result in polychlorinated dibenzio furans which are from PCB’s. If you breathe in to many PCB’s many things can happen to you. When you breathe in to much you it can damage you liver because there will be elevations of serum hepatic enzymes which are in the liver. It can also cause some types of cancer. The environment suffers as well as we do. Because PCB’s are such strong chemicals they stay in the air for a very long time. In my opinion I’m glad that this chemical was banned because from what I have learned it is bad for the environment and all of the people in it. But there are still things out there that people need to get rid of because they contain PCB’s they are still harming not only the people that are around them but the environment which will hurt even more people.

__**Background**__

Polychlorinated biphenyls are in a class of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon chemicals and were used in electrical insulating but were then banned in 1979 only 9 years after being introduced. It was banned because of the chemicals released being so persistent in the environment. It was banned in the United States only. Some interesting things about this chemical is that it is mostly consumed in food. Food that we eat. It can get into food by the packaging materials. PCBs are found more in fatty foods then regular foods. Babies are exposed when they are breast feed because breast milk can transfer the PCBs if the mother has consumed any. The heat from fires can result in polychlorinated Dibenzo furans which are from PCBs. There is a certain critiera that was made by the U.S. FDA and OSHA about the levels that are allowed in foods and in the workplace. The U.S EPA also has criteria for the way that things that have PCBs in them are handled. In May of 2001 the Stockholm treaty was signed and it put into effect elimination and restriction of PCBs and some pesticides. “Different types of PCBs are known as congeners and compounds that are distinguished by the number of chlorine atoms and their location on the biphenyl structure” says the CDC Report.

__**Human health implications**__

Someone can be exposed accidentally to PCBs. Some things that can happen are elevations of serum hepatic enzymes which is the liver and the blood being carried away from the liver. Other things that can happen to the human body is some types of cancer i.e. breast, liver and biliary cancer. Also sometimes during experimental exposure it has been reported that there is impaired neurological development in newborns and children but other reports have found that they do not persist into school age of the children.

__**Environmental implications**__

Non-dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls have many effects on the environment. PCB’s were used in things such as paints, copy paper, adhesives and plastics which people are around almost everyday. PCB’s were released into the environment as a consequence of historical use and disposal. Some of the primary sources of environmental impact was by landfills, hazardous waste sites and leakage from old electrical equipment. The build up of the PCB’s in the atmosphere is causing the hole in the ozone layer. And we all know what can and is happing because of the ozone layer having a hole in it.

__**Synthesis/Production**__

According to an article found in a report about Polychlorinated Biphenyls “PCB’s are made up of 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, a molecule composed of two benzene rings each containing six carbon atoms.” When PCB’s are made industrially by the chlorination of biphenyl with anhydrous chlorine and iron filings. But when they are made commercially preparations are marketed according to their chlorine content. PCB’s are made of different chemicals coming together.

__**Economic/Political Impact**__

PCB’s have been banned in the US since 1979. It was ban because of their release and persistence in the environment. Since this chemical was ban in 1979 companies that used it have come up with new ways to make their product without that chemical. Many products are still out there with PCB’s in them. For example electrical insulating if you house was built in the 70’s then there is a chance that you might have it in your electrical insulating. I think that when PCB’s were ban there might have been uproar from some people but not to many because if you told them that the chemical could have bad affects on your health then they would probably want to get rid of it. Well when this chemical was ban the companies that used PCB’s in their products fond different ways to make the product without PCB’s. Even though they were ban about 30 years ago it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist at all there are still PCB’s around us just not as much. They stick around for a every long time.

__**Summary**__

Summarize the costs/benefits and draw a conclusion as to what actions if any are necessary. PCB’s don’t have very many benefits to us. There are many things in the world that have been and are affected by PCB’s. When PCB’s were introduced and were being used no one really thought anything of it. PCB’s were used in many things such as electrical insulating and food packaging materials. Some things that can happen are elevations of serum hepatic enzymes which is the liver and the blood being carried away from the liver. Other things that can happen to the human body is some types of cancer i.e. breast, liver and biliary cancer. Who wants to have cancer? Who wants to have something around them that can cause so many heath implications. PCB’s were banned in 1979 so no more were produced but there are still many in the air around us. When factories were making their products in the 70’s they decided to dump all of the PCB’s made into the Hudson River and now there are all these PCB’s at the bottom of the river. They just had a debate of weather or not to dig them up but then they would be released into our air. That wouldn’t be good because then all of the reasons that it was banned would be back. In conclusion PCB’s are not good for us and there for it was a brilliant decision to band them when they did.

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