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-Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
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Chemistry and Behavior

PCBs are synthetic organic chemicals, complex mixtures of individual chlorobiphenyls that contain 1 to 10 chlorine atoms. PCBs bind strongly to organic particles in the water column, atmosphere, sediments, and soil. As the compounds move through the environment, the absolute and relative concentrations of individual chlorobiphenyls change over time and from one environmental medium to another because of physical and chemical processes and selective bioaccumulation and metabolism by living organisms. These processes result in mixtures substantially different from the original mixtures that were released to the environment. Identification, quantification, and risk assessment are complicated by these changes in the composition of the PCB mixtures.

Analytical Chemistry of PCBs, 2nd ed.
M.D. Erickson.
Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. ISBN: 0-87371-923-9, 667 pp, 1997.

Chemical Specific Summary Tables: Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment Quality Assessment, Status and Needs
U.S. EPA, Office of Water, Office of Solid Waste.
EPA 823-R-00-002, 828 pp, 2000.

Handbook of Environmental Fate and Exposure Data for Organic Chemicals, Volume II: Solvents
P. Howard.
Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. ISBN: 0-87371-204-8, 546 pp, 1991.

Environmental Transport and Transformation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls
U.S. EPA, Office of Toxic Substances.
EPA 560-5-83-025, 206 pp, 1983.
NTIS: PB84-142579

Illustrated Handbook of Physical-Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate for Organic Chemicals, Volume I: Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons, Chlorobenzenes, and PCBs
D. Mackay, W.Y. Shiu, and K. Ching Ma.
Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. 697 pp, 1992.

PCB Identifiers
U.S. EPA.
Contact: Jonathan Barney, barney.jonathan@epa.gov

Technical Factsheet on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
U.S. EPA, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.


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Last updated on Thursday, November 13, 2008