An overlooked environmental issue? A review of the inadvertent formation of PCB 11 and other PCB congeners and their occurrence in consumer products and in the environment.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are banned from production and use in most countries as they are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) of concern for environment and health. Recent research has pointed at a new environment issue resulting from the inadvertent formation of PCBs in certain processes, in particular the pigment production. PCB 11 is a major by product in these processes, but PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 77 as well as the nonachlorinated PCBs and PCB 209 have been found in pigments and consumer products as well. In addition to environmental emissions via point sources, in particular related to industrial and municipal wastewater, atmospheric transport seems to be important for the global distribution of PCB 11. Thus, PCB 11 has also been detected in the polar regions. Worldwide air concentrations appear relatively uniform, but maxima have been found in urban and industrialised areas. Data on the uptake and accumulation of PCB 11 in the food chain are still inconclusive: Although food web studies do not show biomagnification, PCB 11 has been detected in humans. The human exposure might originate from the direct contact to consumer products as well as from the omnipresence of PCB 11 in the environment.
The Science of the total environment