Polychlorinated biphenyl

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organochlorine compounds with the formula C12H10−xClx. They were once widely used in a range of industrial and consumer electronic products including the manufacture of carbonless copy paper, as heat transfer fluids, and as dielectric and coolant fluids for electrical equipment. Some of them are highly toxic and have been classified as carcinogens. This has led to production being banned internationally by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001. The manufacture of PCBs has declined drastically since the 1960s when problems were identified. With the discovery of PCBs' environmental toxicity, and classification as persistent organic pollutants, their production was banned for most uses by United States federal law on January 1, 1978. However, because of their longevity and widespread use as a coolant in electric transformers, PCBs still persist in built environments. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has...

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