PCB Leaking From Light Fixtures in New York Schools

According to CBS New York, there have been at least two reported cases of toxic PCBs dripping out of light fixtures at New York schools. At one school, the chemical leaked from the light fixture and onto a guidance counselor’s desk. At another, PCBs leaked from a light fixture onto a 10-year-old girl’s desk and contaminated her clothes.

Parents and elected officials have protested outside one of the schools, demanding that the New York Department of Education replace the light fixtures that contain the toxic chemical more quickly.

Officials have estimated that hundreds of schools will need light fixture replacements. The Department of Education has announced that new fixtures will be ordered soon, but that it may take up to two months before they begin to install them into schools.

Many parents are arguing that since their children’s safety is at risk, the replacements should be done as quickly as possible and at any expense.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared PCBs as toxic, and they have been banned since 1979. Despite the ban, PCBs are still present in the environment.

“PCBs have been shown to cause cancer and have health effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems,” states Michael Chapman, Chemistry Laboratory Manager at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “EMSL provides quality testing services for PCBs in environmental samples in accordance with EPA standards to ensure individuals are not exposed to the toxic chemical.”

For more information regarding EMSL’s PCB testing services, please call 800-220-3675, email info@EMSL.com , or visit www.EMSL.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical, Inc. is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies. Please see our website for a complete listing of accreditations.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com