Revista de biorremediación y biodegradación

Abstracto

An Overview on Polychlorinated Biphenyls Pollutants

Suman Bagale

Our environment has become a major reservoir of non-biodegradable wastages. Such wastages have been constantly accumulating in the soil, waters, and living organisms causing acute and long-term toxicity. Among such wastages, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have become a major contaminant. This review article focuses on sources, toxic effects, routes of exposure, and remediation methods of PCBs. These compounds are man-made and were mostly used in electrical appliances like transmitters, capacitors, and paint industries during the period between 1930s to 1940s. Though they had revolutionized the industrial era, they have become a problematic compound due to their high degree of persistence and long-term transport. Solid waste disposal, soil contamination, and runoff water have made freshwater the biggest reservoirs of PCBs. These PCBs accumulates in the food chain through planktons and ultimately to human through fishes. They are found to show allergic response during acute toxicity and carcinogenic in long term. To cope with bio-accumulative and toxicity, caused by PCBs, several studies have been carried out for the remediation of these wastages. Major remediation process includes chemical remediation, photo remediation, electrokinetic remediation, and bio-remediation. Several researches are ongoing to counteract PCBs cost-effectively and sustainably. Collaborative and global elimination strategies could only help to resolve the problem of PCBs, making the environment healthier once again.