PCBs are long recognized as a concern for human health. They are linked
to cancer and effects on the immune, reproductive and neurological
systems. The suite of industrial chemicals was banned in the late 1970s
after decades of use as insulators and stabilizers in electrical
transformers, lubricants and many other industrial applications. Yet,
people and wildlife are still exposed to the persistent pollutants. Rats that were exposed to these mixtures of persistent chemicals while
developing in the womb and while nursing had impaired inner ear function
and hearing loss as adults. The results confirm both rodent and human research that find PCB
exposures can result in cochlear dysfunction and – importantly – extends
this disruption to a mixture of PCBs and PBDEs.