64 Late lessons from early warnings : the precautionary principle 1896 – 2000 6 . PCBs and the precautionary principle
نویسنده
چکیده
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chlorinated organic compounds that were first synthesised in the laboratory in 1881. By 1899 a pathological condition named chloracne had been identified, a painful disfiguring skin disease that affected people employed in the chlorinated organic industry. Mass production of PCBs for commercial use started in 1929. Thirty-seven years elapsed before PCBs became a major public issue, recognised as environmental pollutants, and a danger to animals and humans. Large-scale production worldwide, and in particular in some eastern European countries, continued until the mid-1980s. PCBs are the first obvious example of a substance that was not intentionally spread into the environment, but nevertheless became widespread and bioaccumulated to high concentrations.
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