A health threat has been brought to the forefront by the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent announcement regarding PCBs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they “now recommend testing for PCBs in peeling, brittle, cracking or deteriorating caulk, in buildings, especially school environments, constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978.”
According to the EPA, “Building owners and facility managers should also consider testing to determine if PCB levels in the air exceed EPA’s suggested public health levels.”
Production and use of PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) has been banned since the late 1970’s in the United States, when certain types were identified as carcinogenic, but prior to then it was used in some electronics and building materials, including as an additive in some caulks to make them more flexible.
In 2000, while investigating above average rates of breast cancer cases among employees at the University of Rhode Island, investigators inadvertently found correlations between the high levels of PCBs found in the building and in the employees’ blood serum, prompting further testing and discovery of the tainted caulking.
According to the EPA, tests performed on laboratory animals indicate that the type of PCB’s released by this type of caulk have been shown to cause cancer and numerous other serious health effects in animals. These include issues with the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, endocrine system and other negative health effects. Let it be known that PCB’s have been found in the blood of students tested in buildings where PCB’s have been discovered in caulking.
PCB-laden caulk can come in different colors – brown, black, tan, white, etc. This caulking can be found around windows, doors, vents and possibly on sidewalks.
It can also leach and contaminate the indoor air, soil and masonry. Evidence indicates that PCB’s can be absorbed into masonry materials to the extent that removal and replacement of these masonry units becomes necessary.
This means that even though properties may have newer replacement doors and windows, the masonry openings at these locations can still be contaminated. PCB-laden caulk is considered hazardous material and must be properly abated and properly disposed of.
While the focus has been largely on schools and public buildings, what is not addressed or considered is that hundreds of these older schools and manufacturing facilities from the suspect period, have been converted to residential and office condominiums. This is especially true in New England.
The Massachusetts Division of Capitol Asset Management has initiated a requirement on public projects; to test for PCB’s when “window replacements, exterior masonry repairs or other activities that may involve PCB laden material” are undertaken. However that does not include privately held property.
Oddly, the only Federal guidelines in place at the present time concerning PCB caulk is that if it IS discovered, in the course of voluntary testing, it MUST be removed. At this time there are NO federal laws requiring testing. This “catch-22” requirement gives budget-stripped schools little incentive to test voluntarily and risk subjecting themselves to this burden.
The EPA has clearly stated that they are looking at the issue and will be developing guidelines and recommendations. Removal of these contaminants, if necessary, is certain to be extremely expensive and “PCB caulk” may become the environmental buzzword of the new decade.
Privately held properties are currently under no such obligation other than conscience. Despite the lack of a legal compulsion to test and abate these substances, there are clear benefits to testing. If no PCB’s are present, you can relax knowing that you have done the responsible thing. If PCB’s ARE present, you have the opportunity to plan and budget your response before any government mandates take effect. Forewarned is forearmed.
Kim Tisa, PCB coordinator for the EPA’s New England office has stated “We don’t want to scare people but the bottom line is; it’s a fact and we have to deal with it.”
Dan Simonse, is Chief Estimator for CCI.
