To fill the heat-resistant void left by PCBs, a new class of compounds swept in: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Unfortunately, the story does not end here. Low-level PCB contamination is ubiquitous: PCBs have been detected in the Mariana Trench and in a majority of the Americans’ blood. However, high levels of PCB contamination from improper or irresponsible use linger around the world, from New Bedford Harbor to Okinawa, Japan. Anniston is among the hardest-hit and still suffers from unusually high rates of crime, poverty, and mental and physical health issues, all of which can be traced back to the severe pollution. The phase-out may give the impression that this problem has been dealt with, but the reality is far more complex. While PCBs’ toxicity to humans and the environment was discovered several decades prior, PCBs were not banned in the United States until 1978. “Polychlorinated biphenyls in the Great Lakes.” Persistent organic pollutants in the Great Lakes. Sources and transport of PCBs in the Great Lakes. PCBs also biomagnify, which means that with each step up the food chain, from minnow, to trout, to humans, their concentration increases – which is particularly disturbing, given that PCBs are known to cause cancer in many animals and, most likely, humans. The converse is, in fact, true: because PCBs do not easily break down in the environment, they have spread globally and will persist for years to come.
Though Anniston, Alabama continues to suffer among the worst impacts from PCB contamination, it is by no means an isolated problem. The Monsanto plant near downtown Anniston (undated photo). In addition to being extremely useful in cooling and insulating applications, PCBs also turned out to be extremely toxic. During this time, tens of thousands of tonnes of PCBs were discharged into the air, the water, and the open-air landfill near the center of town. Between 19, Anniston was home to a large manufacturing plant that produced polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chemicals that were once widely used in electrical equipment, lubricants, surface coatings, and several other applications. The source of Annistion’s troubles is no mystery. Entire neighborhoods have been abandoned, large swathes of land where nothing grows abound, and residents of all ages bear an astonishingly high prevalence of serious health problems. A sign posted near Choccolocco creek, which received much of the wastewater discharge from the Monsanto PCB plant.
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