by Ian Gray, Oilwatch
What are PCBs and why are they so dangerous? PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a group of synthetic oil-like chemicals of the organochlorine family, first described in technical literature in 1881, with commercial production commencing in the late 1920s. Until their toxic nature was recognized and their use was banned in the early 1980s, they were widely used as insulation in electrical equipment, particularly transformers.
