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The ABCs of PCBs – Official calls for investigation of toxin in public schools

Toxic chemicals are lurking in dozens of Brooklyn schools and the city has no plans to remove them.

Approximately 88 of the borough’s elementary, middle and high schools were built or underwent renovations during the 1960s and 1970s when construction workers used caulking on window and door frames that was laced with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

These chemical compounds are considered “highly toxic” and cause skin diseases. They’re also suspected of causing birth defects and cancer.

Fueled by growing public concern, State Senator Carl Kruger is introducing legislation demanding that the city test all public schools believed to be contaminated with PCBs.

“The city refuses to accept responsibility for exposing children to a chemical that has been banned since 1977