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PCBs are widely dispersed in the environment and are at low concentrations throughout the world. The properties that make them commercially attractive are: PCBs have a heavy liquid, oil-like consistency. short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), should be assessed in the life cycle for exposure of food-producing animals and humans.īeef Cattle Chicken Contaminated sites Open application PCB inventory Polychlorinated biphenyls Soil, feed.Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic and persistent chemicals primarily used as insulating fluids in electrical equipment like transformers in power plants, industrial plants, telecommunications and utility lines, and in large buildings across the country. Other persistent and toxic chemicals used as alternatives to PCBs, e.g. Open PCB applications need to be inventoried and better managed. For a large share of impacted land, management measures applicable on farm level might be sufficient to continue with food production. Areas at and around industries having produced or used or managed PCBs, or facilities and areas where PCBs were disposed need to be assessed in respect to potential contamination of food-producing animals. In beef and chicken, soil levels of 5 ng PCB-TEQ/kg and for chicken with high soil exposure even 2 ng PCB-TEQ/kg can lead to exceedance of EU limits in meat and eggs. This legacy of contaminated soils and contaminated feed, individually or collectively, can lead to exceedance of maximum levels in food products from animals. Furthermore, the historic production, use, recycling and disposal of PCBs have contaminated soils along the lifecycle. In addition, PCBs in open applications on farms are still a sources of contamination for farmed animals. The atmospheric PCB releases still have an relevant impact on vegetation and livestock feed. This amount is in agreement with deposition measurements (estimated to 18 t) and emission estimates for Switzerland. These open PCB applications continuously emit PCBs into the environment with an estimated release of 7-12 t per year. The continued use in open applications has not been banned, and in 2013, an estimated more than 12,000 t of PCBs were still present in buildings and other constructions.
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In West Germany, 24,000 t of PCBs were used in open applications, mainly as additive (plasticiser, flame retardant) in sealants and paints in buildings and other construction. Thirty to 50% of these PCBs were not appropriately managed. The use of PCB oils in these "closed applications", has been banned in Germany in 2000. In Germany 60,000 t of PCBs were used in transformers, capacitors or as hydraulic oils. This report gives a summary of the historic use, former management and current release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Germany and assesses the impact of the life cycle of PCBs on the contamination of the environment and of food products of animal origin.