Caulking compounds are found in virtually all homes, businesses, and schools throughout New York and the nation. However, according to research conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Caulk put in place between 1950 and 1979 may contain as much as 40 percent PCBs and can emit PCBs into the surrounding air. PCBs from caulk may also contaminate adjacent materials such as masonry or wood.”

The flexible material is used to seal gaps and joints to make them water and airtight. Unfortunately, as the EPA reports, many caulking materials used in the past to build and renovate residential and commercial properties contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The national media brought attention to concerns over PCBs in caulking materials earlier this year when a decision was handed down by a U.S. District Court Judge regarding a lawsuit initiated by public health advocates and parents against a California school district after the discovery of PCB-containing caulks at several of the district’s schools.

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance regarding PCBs in caulk from buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978. The EPA recommends testing for PCBs in peeling, brittle, cracking, or deteriorating caulk in buildings, especially in school environments.

“While it has been decades since PCBs were used in caulking compounds, these chemical compounds still remain in far too many residential, commercial, and institutional properties,” said Michael Berrevoets, President, VOETS, LLC. “PCBs can persist in old materials and contaminate surfaces, dust, soils, and the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a structure. This is of particular concern because PCBs can bioaccumulate in humans and animals. At VOETS, our building science and environmental professionals provide PCB testing services across the tri-state area for all types of caulking compounds and other materials that may contain these hazardous chemical compounds.”