Gafftopsail Catfish Consumption Advisory in Sabine Lake
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - December 2011 What are PCBs? PCB’s
(polychlorinated biphenyls) are a family of organic compounds
that have been widely used since 1929 as coolants and lubricants
in electrical equipment (transformers, capacitors, etc.) because
they don’t burn easily and are good insulators. There are no
known natural sources of PCBs. Over 1,200,000 tons of PCBs were
manufactured in the United States. Of this, about 65% is still
in use, 31% is an environmental burden, and 4% has degraded or
been incinerated. PCBs are stable compounds, are long-lived in
the environment, and can be found everywhere. Concern over
toxicity and persistence in the environment led Congress in 1979
to prohibit the manufacture, processing and distribution of
PCBs. How Do PCBs Affect People? PCBs have been found in soil,
ground and surface water, air, sediment, plants, and animals in
all regions of the world. PCBs break down very slowly in the
environment and accumulate