The material in dispute is polychlorinated biphenyls, used in window and door caulking. According to the New York Daily News, the material was used in 266 NYC schools or 8 out of 9 NYC schools. The daily claims 6 of 9 schools had PCBs on its windows and doors that had unsafe levels.
The state Department of Education conducted air and wipe tests in the schools. The department's finding was that only in one school did the PCBs in the caulking leaked into the air or the nearby environment, particularly Public School 199's first floor cafeteria.
The department pointed out the caulkings are not a threat if these are untouched. Department spokeswoman Marge Feinberg told the New York Daily News state rules allow the caulk to remain in place until the building undergoes renovation. But until then, the department had no plan of removing the PCBs.
PCBs were popular window and door materials from the 1950s until the 1970s due to its flexibility. But by the late 1970s scientists warned of possible adverse health effects due to PCB exposure.
The other industrial uses of PCBs include as collants, insulating fluids for transformers and capacitors, plasticizers in paints and cement, pesticide extenders, reactive flame retardants and carbonless copy paper.
