• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Education / UI Study: “Concerning” PCB levels found inside older Iowa schools

UI Study: “Concerning” PCB levels found inside older Iowa schools

July 19, 2017 By Matt Kelley

Caulking around fluorescent lights could be adding to classroom PCB levels.

University of Iowa researchers say they’re finding cancer-causing chemicals in some older Iowa schools.

Children may be exposed to airborne PCBs in schools that were built between 1950 and the mid-1970s. PCBs were banned in 1979.

Keri Hornbuckle, a UI professor of civil and environmental engineering, says they expected to find more airborne PCBs outside of schools.

Hornbuckle says, “We were surprised to find that many schools have indoor concentrations of PCBs that is much higher than outside, suggesting that there are direct sources of these chemicals inside of schools.”

Hornbuckle says likely sources include old caulking around windows and fluorescent light fixtures. Replacing those materials can reduce the concentration of PCBs in a school.

She says it’s long been known PCBs are in some foods and that’s how scientists expect children take in most of those chemicals.

“Our study showed that inhalation of PCBs in their schoolrooms could also be another large source of PCBs,” she says. “Our estimation is that it could be similar to that that they get from their food.”

The report says PCB levels found so far in Iowa schools are below what’s considered dangerous by the Environmental Protection Agency, but Hornbuckle says they’re high enough to be concerning.

By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Education, Health / Medicine, News

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Confusion at MVC Tournament as UNI exits prior to quarterfinal round game

Iowa State looks to avoid winless Big-12 season

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC