October 2, 2009—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a series of steps that building owners and school administrators should take to reduce exposure to PCBs that may be found in caulk in many buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978. The agency is also conducting new research on risks posed by caulk containing PCBs, to guide further recommendations on long-term measures to minimize exposure and the necessity of removing the caulk to better protect public health.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are man-made chemicals that persist in the environment and were widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to 1978, explains EPA. PCBs can affect the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system and are potentially cancer-causing if they build up in the body over long periods of time.
Buildings constructed or renovated from 1950 to 1978 may have PCBs at high levels in the caulk around windows and door frames, between masonry columns, and in other masonry building materials. Exposure to these PCBs may occur as a result of their release from the caulk into the air, dust, surrounding surfaces, and soil, and through direct contact.
EPA says that the potential presence of PCBs in buildings should not be a cause for alarm, but if buildings were erected or renovated between 1950 and 1978, EPA recommends that owners minimize exposure by:
- Cleaning air ducts;
- Improving ventilation by opening windows and using or installing exhaust fans where possible;
- Cleaning frequently to reduce dust and residue inside buildings;
- Using a wet or damp cloth or mop to clean surfaces;
- Not sweeping with dry brooms and minimizing the use of dusters in areas near potential PCB-containing caulk;
- Using vacuums with high efficiency particulate air filters;
- Washing hands with soap and water often, particularly before eating and drinking; and
- Washing children’s toys often.
EPA also recommends testing brittle or deteriorating caulk directly for the presence of PCBs and removing the caulk if PCBs are present at significant levels. Alternately, the building owner can assume the PCBs are present and proceed directly to remove deteriorating caulk. Building owners and FMs should also consider testing to determine if PCB levels in the air exceed EPA’s suggested public health levels.
For buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978, EPA recommends that PCB-containing caulk be removed during planned renovations and repairs. EPA says it is critically important to ensure that PCBs are not released to the air during replacement or repair of caulk in affected buildings. EPA’s PCBs in Caulk site recommends simple, commonsense work practices to prevent the release of PCBs during these operations.
