University of Iowa researchers studying toxic air chemicals have identified building materials used in a Vermont school could pose health risks to the school’s students and staff.

Keri Hornbuckle spoke at the Climate/Atmospheric Science & Engineering (CASE) Colloquium series. The topic was “The impact of coordinated sampling, analytical, and data management methods with identification and remediation of legacy and modern sources of airborne PCBs.”

Most people by now know about lead and asbestos: toxic substances found in old buildings that can cause great harm to people’s health and the natural environment. But health and environmental experts say chemicals known as PCBs—polychlorinated biphnenyls—represent an emerging front in the ongoing battle for detoxifying the nation’s infrastructure, including its aging schools.

Approaches for studying airborne exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — and helping communities reduce such exposure — were discussed by Iowa Superfund Research Program (ISRP) Director Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D., during her Feb. 4 Keystone Science Lecture. The NIEHS-funded program is housed at the University of Iowa.

Environmental hazards, including PCBs, were repeatedly found at Sky Valley Education Center’s campus in Monroe. Some of the highest levels were found in classrooms. The school is still open.

The Vermont Department of Health has quietly updated the way it assesses airborne levels of cancer-causing chemicals, a decision that comes ahead of a statewide testing program for hundreds of schools across the state.

Hazardous chemicals caused Burlington High School to close its doors which, in turn, opened many questions about the state of Vermont schools and whether this is the beginning of a much larger PCB problem.

Shortly after Burlington High School closed last September because of high levels of airborne toxic chemicals in its tech center building, district Superintendent Tom Flanagan got what he thought was encouraging news.

Moala Keshei Bannavti, ISRP trainee, won the University of Iowa Graduate College's 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Bannavti is a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering studying room-to-room variation and remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Since March, the 970 students at Burlington High School have had only one day of in-person education: Their first day, in September, before the discovery of airborne PCBs — carcinogenic chemicals — shuttered the building for the fall.