Many chemicals and substances that were once deemed safe for use are now known to be harmful. Even though their usage may have been banned years ago, they still persist in the environment. PCBs and chlordane are two such substances. PCBs are synthetic oils, banned from use in 1976, that were used in electrical transformers, hydraulic oil, and lubricants. Chlordane is a banned pesticide that was used to control termites.
In some urban areas these substances are still detected in fish, where they tend to build up in the fatty tissue. Eating too much of these fish might lead to an increased risk of cancer.
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbanpcb.html
Page Contact Information: Howard Perlman
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 13-May-2009 16:22:42 EDT
