The State of Washington’s Department of Ecology published a report in June 2014 on “Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in General Consumer Products” , showing findings of PCB-11 in food contact materials. On August 7, 2014 Cassandra Profita reported on these findings, where 68 different products were analyzed, including 27 retail food packaging containers. Of all samples, 66% contained PCB-11, a reaction by-product of diarylide yellow manufacture, and a break down product of diarylide yellow pigment.
PCBs are of concern due to their highly persistent properties. They are fat soluble and can be stored in fatty tissue. PCBs have also been found to have endocrine disrupting properties. The present report shows that not all PCB measurements can be attributed to legacy contamination from previous, now banned uses but that there are still current exposure sources of PCBs, for example from yellow food contact materials and other consumer products.
Read more
Profita, C. (2014). Report: Banned toxic PCB still showing up in everyday products. OPB (August 7, 2014).
Stone, A. (2014) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in general consumer products. State of Washington, Department of Ecology. (June 2014)
