A known carcinogen may be lurking in your child’s school.
Scientists estimate that Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are present in 1 out of every 3 K-12 schools nationwide. Despite this, these harmful chemicals often go undetected because many states, including North Carolina, do not proactively test schools for them.
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Poe Hall is not an anomaly: A push to test more schools
Until last year, Chelsea Lundquist-Wentz was unfamiliar with PCBs. That changed in November when N.C. State closed Poe Hall – a once-bustling education building, after discovering high levels of the chemicals throughout its seven stories. So far, 213 people who worked or studied in the building have reported to WRAL News that they developed cancer after spending time there. According to the Centers for Disease Control, PCBs are known to cause cancer in humans.
"It was really the first time I realized what the effects of PCBs are," Lundquist-Wentz said.
Lundquist-Wentz, a graduate student at N.C. State, launched a social media campaign urging the university to test other buildings on campus. But as Wake County Public Schools starts classes, her attention has shifted to Adams Elementary, where her daughter will enter second grade.
"I love the school. I want her to go there, but I would feel better knowing what’s going on with the building," said Lundquist-Wentz, who is now pushing for Wake County Schools to test all its buildings for PCBs, something the district does not currently do.
While Poe Hall serves as a cautionary tale, it is far from unique. Dr. Keri Hornbuckle, a University of Iowa engineering professor who studies PCBs, estimates that 50,000 K-12 schools were constructed with materials containing PCBs. These chemicals were also used in government buildings.
"If you wanted your building to last, you were told to pump it full of materials with PCBs," Hornbuckle explained. "They were the original forever chemicals."
Where are the PCBs? Caulking, flooring & more
In 1979, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the production of PCBs. But unless actively removed, these chemicals remain in many buildings to this day.
Products that may contain PCBs include, according to the EPA:
- Transformers and capacitors
- Electrical equipment including voltage regulators, switches, re-closers, bushings, and electromagnets
- Oil used in motors and hydraulic systems
- Old electrical devices or appliances containing PCB capacitors
- Fluorescent light ballasts
- Cable insulation
- Thermal insulation material including fiberglass, felt, foam and cork
- Adhesives and tapes
- Oil-based paint
- Caulking
- Plastics
- Carbonless copy paper
- Floor finish
Vermont is the only state requiring PCB testing
In 2020, Burlington High School in Vermont was closed and later demolished after high levels of PCBs were found in its caulking, flooring, soil and air. Teachers had previously reported rashes, fatigue and chest pains.
The following year, Vermont lawmakers passed a law requiring all schools built or renovated before the PCB ban to be tested for the chemicals.
Of the 153 schools tested so far, 46 likely contained PCBs – and in 19 schools, some areas had such elevated levels that they were deemed unusable until remediated.
Patricia Coppolino, the senior environmental manager for Vermont’s contaminated sites program, told WRAL that the testing and room closures had been challenging for schools, but she ultimately believed the program was worth the financial costs and disruptions.
"People should be able to go to school and breathe clean air without worrying about getting cancer," Coppolino said.
The harmful health effects of PCBs
The latency period for cancer is often decades long, meaning people exposed to PCBs may not realize the harmful consequences until many years later. An immediate concern for Lundquist-Wentz and Dr. David Carpenter, a physician who studies the effects of PCBs on children, are the cognitive impacts.
"Maybe the reason a student doesn’t perform well on a test, or their memory isn’t as sharp, is due to continuous exposure to PCBs," Carpenter said.
Unlike lead and asbestos, PCBs are not routinely tested for and often remain undetected until people become ill and report symptoms. In both Poe Hall and Burlington High School, staff had previously reported illnesses.
"Unless you take a measurement, you won’t know they’re there," Carpenter said. "You can’t see or smell PCBs."
Which buildings are most at risk?
Age is often the key factor to consider before testing a building. If it was built after the ban, it will not contain PCBs. However, if it was constructed anytime between 1930 and 1979, it very well could have PCBs, Carpenter said.
WRAL News reached out to 23 school districts in the viewing area, asking how many schools were built before the 1979 PCB ban. More than a dozen districts responded, revealing that 249 school buildings were constructed prior to the ban.
PCBs compared to lead and asbestos
One of the schools that was built prior to the ban was Adams Elementary, where Lundquist-Wentz’s daughter attends.
"I just don’t understand that," said Carpenter. "I guess it’s ignorance. The evidence for the harm caused by PCBs is overwhelming."
Carpenter emphasized that PCB exposure is as detrimental as lead. Lead exposure, for instance, can impair a student’s ability to learn – resulting in a 5-to-7-point IQ deficit, and PCB exposure has been shown to have similar effects.
Prolonged exposure to asbestos in children can lead to cancer decades later, and the same holds true for PCBs. Both are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning they are known to cause cancer in humans.
Roadblocks to testing schools for PCBs
However, unlike asbestos and lead, schools aren’t required to test for PCBs. One significant barrier is the cost, with a single test costing up to $1,000.
"I don’t think there’s any amount of money that justifies someone getting sick or dying from something preventable," Lundquist-Wentz said.
PCBs remain in many buildings to this day and can be found in a myriad of materials, including paint, insulation, lighting fixtures and machinery.
Here is a list of the schools in our viewing area built prior to the EPA ban on PCBs. Each district we reached out to said they do not actively test for PCBs, unless remediated. WRAL has not received a response from school districts in Durham, Edgecombe, Halifax, Harnett and Warren counties.
Wake County Public School System (58 schools, 107 structures)
WRAL obtained Wake County’s school building report through an open records request. According to the report, 58 schools – and 107 structures within those schools – were built prior to 1979. In some cases, they were renovated after 1980. To find your child’s school, click here. Some campuses have several buildings. To find a list of each individual building, click here.
Wake County high schools built before 1979
Wake County middle schools built before 1979
Wake County elementary schools built before 1979
Cumberland County Schools (62 schools)
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (9 schools)
- Lincoln Center (1950)
- Glenwood ES (1952)
- Carrboro ES (1957)
- Estes Hills ES (1958)
- Phillips MS (1962)
- FP Graham ES (1963)
- Seawell ES (1969)
- Culbreth MS (1969)
- Ephesus ES (1972)
Chatham County Schools (12 schools)
- Bennett
- Bonlee
- Chatham Central HS
- CCI
- GM Horton
- JS Waters
- Jordan-Matthews HS
- Moncure School
- Northwood HS
- Pittsboro Elementary
- Siler CIty Elementary
- Silk Hope School
Durham Public Schools (24 schools, no list provided)
There are 24 Durham Public Schools built prior to 1979. A list was not shared, but Clifton Williams, DPS executive director of buildings and maintenance, answered questions submitted by WRAL News:
Q: Does your district regularly test/check for mold?
A: No, however onsite staff report organic growth/ mold immediately once it is seen. Our district completes IAQ test as needed to ensure safe IAQ levels.
Q: Does your district regularly test/check for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)?
A: I am not aware of any testing for PCB. I am not aware of any routine testing done for PCB.
Q: Does your district regularly test/check for lead?
A: The district completes yearly testing for lead in water. DPS would conduct testing on any project that would be completed in an area known to lead in paint or water. Ie, maintenance projects, renovations, etc.
Q: Does your district treat the testing and evaluation of older buildings differently than newer buildings?
A: Yes, all buildings known to have asbestos monitored semi-annually, per AHERA regulations.
Q: Does your district regularly test/check for any other natural or chemical environmental hazards?
A: Yes, Asbestos, per AHERA guidelines.
Q: Has your district’s policy on this kind of checking/testing evolved recently?
A: No, there have not been any major changes in AHERA guidelines recently.
Q: How can parents or students report environmental concerns to your district?
A: We ask that parents and students notify their building principals first.
Q: How are reports/complaints from parents and students handled/investigated?
A: We would communicate any findings and updates back through the building principals.
Moore County Schools (13 schools)
- Cameron Elementary
- Carthage Elementary
- CLC Pinckney
- Elise Middle
- Highfalls Elementary
- North Moore High School
- Pinecrest High School
- Robbins Elementary
- Sandhills Farm Life Elementary
- Union Pines High School
- Vass-Lakeview Elementary
- West End Elementary
- Admin Offices
Person County Schools (8 schools)
- Woodland Elementary (1950)
- Earl Bradsher Preschool (1951)
- Southern Middle School (1951)
- North End Elementary School (1955)
- Oak Lane Elementary School (1955)
- Person High School (1966)
- South Elementary School (1966)
- North Elementary School (1969)
Wilson County Schools (15 schools)
- Barnes Elementary
- Beddingfield High
- Daniels Learning Center
- Elm City Middle
- Fike High
- Gardners Elementary
- Hearne Elementary
- Hunt High
- Lee Woodard Elementary
- Lucama Elementary
- Rock Ridge Elementary
- Stantonsburg Elementary
- Vick Elementary
- Vinson-Bynum Elementary
- Wells Elementary
Wayne County Public Schools (16 schools)
- Brogden Middle
- Brogden Primary
- Carver Heights Elementary
- Charles B. Acock High School
- Dillard Middle
- Easter Wayne High
- Eastern Wayne Middle (main building built in 2013)
- Goldsboro High
- Grantham Elementary
- Greenwood Middle
- Mount Olive Middle
- North Drive
- Norwayne Middle (main building built in 2013)
- Rosewood Middle
- Southern Wayne High
- Wayne School Engineering
Orange County Schools (7 schools)
- Central Elementary
- Efland Cheeks Elementary
- Grady A. Brown Elementary
- Hillsborough Elementary
- Orange High School
- Orange Middle School
- River Park Elementary
Vance County Schools (9 schools)
- Advance Academy (1974)
- Carver (1950)
- EM Rollins (1957)
- EO Young (1957)
- LB Yancey (1951)
- New Hope (1953)
- Pinkston (1962)
- STEM/V3A/CFI (1934)
- Vance County Middle (1965)
Lee County Schools (5 schools)
- The old gymnasium at Lee County High School
- McLeod Auditorium at Lee County High School
- Gym/Auditorium at Broadway Elementary
- Gym/Auditorium at Greenwood Elementary
- East Lee and West Lee Middle Schools
Granville County Schools (8 schools)
- CG Credle Elementary School (1911)
- Stovall Shaw Elementary School (1955)
- Mary Potter Center for Education (Now Granville Academy) (1957)
- South Granville High School (1961)
- JF Webb High School (1963)
- Butner Stem Elementary School (1976)
- West Oxford Elementary School (1976)
- G. C. Hawley Middle School (former Creedmoor Elementary School) (1977)
Franklin County Schools (8 schools)
- Bunn Elementary
- Bunn High (some of the buildings)
- Edward Best Elementary
- Franklinton Elementary (some buildings)
- Franklinton Middle
- Laurel Mill Elementary (some buildings)
- Louisburg Magnet High (some buildings)
- Youngsville Elementary (some buildings)
Hoke County Schools (7 schools)
- Turlington Alternative School (1935)
- Upchurch Elementary School (1945)
- Hawk Eye Elementary School (1953)
- McLauchlin Elementary School (1953)
- West Hoke Elementary School (1957)
- Scurlock Elementary School (1960)
- parts of Hoke County High School (1960)
Nash County Public Schools (12 schools, no list provided)