Toxicology Litigation Support

PCBs

PCBs are mixtures of many chlorinated aromatic compounds, some of which are very persistent both in the environment and in the body. Since they are lipophilic, they dissolve in the fatty tissues of the body and are released slowly to the bloodstream and are eventually are metabolized. Unborn fetuses and neonates have developing nervous systems that are particularly sensitive to the actions of PCBs which tend to disrupt synaptogenesis, the process which forms the neuronal network of the brain. Since PCBs are stored in the fatty tissue, they are in equilibrium with the fat cells which circulate in the blood and can be detected in the blood many years after exposure has ceased. Dr. Parent has conducted a survey of over 1,200 individuals living near a transformer plant by sampling their blood and the dust in their homes. He related the concentration of PCBs in blood to the extent of current and future injury; the case was settled on the basis of the blood analyses. A synopsis of PCB characteristics and health effects is available to you by clicking on the link indicated below.

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