Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent, bioaccumulating, and toxic compounds that are released into the air from historical use of commercial Aroclors and from contemporary building materials contaminated with PCBs during manufacture. PCBs are measured in air around the world, but their presence in residential air is not well understood. We measured all 209 PCBs inside and outside 185 homes and 4 schools in urban East Chicago, Indiana and rural Columbus Junction, Iowa. We applied a novel, state-of-the-science model to determine the outdoor flow rates on a per congener basis according to local meteorological conditions at the time of sampling. We found that indoor air concentrations are higher than outdoor air concentrations and that concentrations are similar between the two communities. Notably PCB 11, a PCB associated with currently-produced paint pigment, was detected in every sample.

PCBs in indoor and outdoor air from urban and rural U.S. homes and schools

248th National Meeting (2014)

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