Who funds this research?
This work is funded by the Iowa Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Grant P42ES013661.
What are PCBs?
PCBs are a group of 209 anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants that were produced in the United States as mixtures called Aroclors until 1977. (Airborne PCBs and OH-PCBs Inside and Outside Urban and Rural U.S. Schools.Environ Sci Technol. 2017 Jul 18;51(14):7853-7860. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01910. Epub 2017 Jun 28)
What are Congener Profiles?
There are 209 types of PCBs, known as congeners. Their number is determined by the amount of chlorines in the biphenyl molecule. A congener profile is a bar chart that displays the individual PCB congeners with the highest relative concentrations starting from congener 1 (c1) through congener 209 (c209).
What are PCB Sums?
It is the total of the mass or concentration or PCB congeners 1-209 in each sample.
What is a Sediment Core?
Sediment cores are an extremely useful tool used to sample soil deposits. This method is commonly used to sample sediment at the bottom of lakes and wetlands. A long and narrow tube is driven into the sediment bed and the samples are collected. The samples are then dried and analyzed in a lab. Sediment core sampling is interesting because it can show the history of materials and chemicals in a body of water over time. Sediment cores were taken in East Chicago Indiana Harbor to display the presence of PCBs in the harbor over time. The tubes used to collect this data reached 457 cm in depth.
What is a Standard Deviation?
A standard deviation is a number that indicates how measurements from a group are spread out from the mean or average value. A low standard deviation indicates that the numbers are close to the mean value, while a high standard deviation indicates that the numbers are further from the mean.
What is TSCA?
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 provides the Environmental Protection Agency with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. TSCA addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint. On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which updates the Toxic Substances Control Act. (EPA, 2017)
Are PCBs harmful?
They are Category 1 human carcinogens and neuroendocrine disruptors. However, the exact concentration of PCBs in the air, water, or sediment that can be a direct cause of cancer is still unknown.
