Carcinogenicity of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls

摘要

In February 2013, 26 experts from 12 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France, to reassess the carcinogenicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs). These assessments will be published as volume 107 of the IARC Monographs. PCBs are a class of aromatic compounds comprising 209 congeners, each containing one to ten chlorine atoms attached to a biphenyl nucleus. Technical PCB products, which were manufactured to obtain a specific level of chlorination, are mixtures of many PCB congeners. These products were widely used as dielectric fluid in capacitors and transformers, and to a lesser extent in building materials (eg, caulking, paints, and lighting ballasts).