Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2024-0053-3431: Evaluation of Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Cancer Concerns Among University Employees

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Rinsky, Jessica L. ; Chiu, Sophia K. ; Burton, Nancy C. ; Neu, Dylan T. ; Feldmann, Karl D.
• Description:
  Management from a university requested a health hazard evaluation concerning potential workplace exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the occurrence of cancer among employees working in a university building. During our evaluation we (1) reviewed available scientific literature about cancer types associated with PCB exposure, (2) reviewed reports describing environmental assessments and air, surface, and bulk building material sampling conducted by the university and a consultant, (3) worked with the state cancer registry to estimate the number of cases of melanoma, breast cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma that occurred among university employees who worked in the building during 1995-2022, and (4) compared the occurrence of each cancer type among employees to the number of cases expected if employees experienced the same cancer rates as the general population of the state. Environmental assessments and sampling showed that PCBs were detected in air and on surfaces in workspaces, indicating it is possible employees could have been exposed. However, the available information did not show when the potential for PCB exposure began, how levels have changed over time, or if employees were exposed at levels known or suspected of causing cancer. Our evaluation suggests that the incidence of melanoma, and possibly breast cancer, was greater than expected based on statewide rates during the period evaluated, mainly among female employees assigned to the building. However, NIOSH cannot draw conclusions about the causes of these cancers among employees based on this information alone. The excesses of cancer observed here may be due to many different factors, including differences in access to cancer screening and medical care between employees and the general population. These results begin to address employee and university concerns about the potential for exposure to PCBs in the building and the occurrence of cancer among employees, indicate steps that affected individuals can take, and support the need to consider whether further investigation of the potential for PCB exposure over time and health effects among building occupants is possible and would substantially benefit the university community.
• Subjects:
  Breast Neoplasms Neoplasms Occupational Health Polychlorinated Biphenyls Safety Schools
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Colleges, Universities, And Professional Schools; Cancer; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; PCBs Region 4; Education; Employee Health; Cancer; Breast Cancer; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; PCBs; Indoor Environments; Construction Materials;
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2024-0053-3431, 2026 Mar; :1-47
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  10.26616/NIOSHHHE202400533431
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; Ohio ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  48 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071247
• CAS Registry Number:
  1,1′-Biphenyl, chloro derivs. (CAS RN 1336-36-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  611310 - Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools - (NAICS 2022)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2ebde93f568c732ec526cbdc09844c2d16acc7c95b4141f3e497016683a2df9677976bf0e0059659096f7166dfea898e8a47adbebcc2f5cdf0014efe5d0e64bd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258725/cdc_258725_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 749.64 KB ]