Le fait qui frappe
Les PCB ont été pensés comme fluides stables ; cette stabilité les a rendus quasiment planétaires.
Interdits trop tard, ils restent présents dans des millions de joints, équipements et revêtements.
Dossier
PCBs: the
forgotten forever pollutants
Translation — the French version prevails.
Synthesized in 1881, mass-produced from 1929, banned too late. Polychlorinated biphenyls have contaminated the entire planet — from the ocean floor to breast milk. Their manufacturer knew. They chose profit. Here are the facts.
1'300'000 ttonnes of PCBs produced worldwide (1929–1993)
Pourquoi ça compte encore dans le bâti
- Joints de façade et de dilatation
- Mastics de vitrages
- Ballasts, condensateurs et transformateurs
1881 — 1937
The invention of an industrial poison
In 1881, German chemists Schmidt and Schultz achieved the first laboratory synthesis of polychlorinated biphenyls. The molecule remained an academic curiosity for nearly half a century until the Swann Chemical Company of St. Louis launched commercial production in 1929.
In 1935, Monsanto acquired Swann Chemical and became the sole American PCB producer. The company marketed PCBs under the brand name Aroclor, developing extensive applications: electrical transformers, capacitors, hydraulic fluids, paints, inks, plasticizers. PCBs were everywhere.
Yet as early as 1936, Harvard researchers demonstrated that PCBs caused severe liver damage. In 1937, three workers died at Halowax after vapour exposure. That same year, Monsanto attended a conference where the toxicity was presented. The industry knew — and did nothing.
1881Découverte
First laboratory synthesis
German chemists Schmidt and Schultz performed the first synthesis of polychlorinated biphenyls by direct chlorination of biphenyl. A laboratory curiosity that would not find industrial application for another fifty years.
Source : Schmidt & Schultz, 1881 — Annalen der Chemie
1929Industrie
Commercial production by Swann Chemical
The Swann Chemical Company of St. Louis (Missouri) launched the first commercial production of PCBs. The product was marketed as a miracle fluid: stable, non-flammable, an excellent electrical insulator. This was the beginning of a planetary contamination.
Source : Swann Chemical Company, industrial archives
1935Industrie
Monsanto acquires Swann Chemical
Monsanto acquired Swann Chemical and became the sole American producer of PCBs. The company marketed PCBs under the brand name 'Aroclor' and massively expanded their industrial applications. PCBs became a 22-million-dollar-a-year business.
Source : Archives Monsanto
1936Alerte
Harvard documents the first liver damage
Researchers at Harvard University published a study demonstrating that PCB exposure causes severe liver lesions in workers. Monsanto was informed but made no changes to its products or practices.
Source : Harvard School of Public Health, 1936
1937Alerte
Three workers die at Halowax
Three workers at the Halowax Corporation plant died after exposure to chlorinated biphenyl vapours. Autopsy revealed massive hepatic necrosis. The industry was alerted but the product remained on the market without restriction.
Source : Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, 1937
1937Scandale
Monsanto aware of its products' toxicity
Monsanto attended an industry conference where the toxic effects of chlorinated biphenyls on the liver and skin were presented. Internal documents show that the company was fully aware of the risks from this date onward.
Source : Proceedings, industrial conference 1937
1929 — 1970s
The industry's “miracle product”
PCBs possessed remarkable properties: exceptional chemical stability, fire resistance, excellent electrical insulation, and low volatility. These characteristics made them ideal for hundreds of industrial applications. At peak production in 1970, 39,000 tonnes were manufactured in a single year in the United States alone.
Total worldwide cumulative production exceeded 1.3 million tonnes between 1929 and 1993. PCBs were used in transformers and capacitors, but also in carbonless copy paper, printing inks, and even chewing gum. In construction, they were incorporated into expansion joint sealants, anti-corrosion paints, and facade coatings.
Industrial applications of PCBs
Electrical transformers (insulating fluid)
Capacitors (dielectric)
Hydraulic and heat-transfer fluids
Sealant compounds for expansion joints
Facade paints and coatings
Carbonless copy paper (no-carbon required)
Printing inks
Plasticisers for PVC and rubber
Industrial lubricants
Construction adhesives and mastics
The Monsanto scandal
Monsanto knew.
Monsanto lied.
Monsanto's internal documents, revealed in 2002 by the Environmental Working Group, are damning. Thousands of pages marked "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" prove that the company had known about PCB hazards since the 1930s and deliberately concealed them.
In Anniston, Alabama, where Monsanto operated a PCB plant, employees observed fish dying within 10 seconds in nearby streams. Concentrations 7,500 times above legal limits were measured. The local population was never informed. The company contaminated the town for decades with full knowledge.
« We can't afford to lose one dollar of business. »
« Il y a peu d'intérêt à engager des dépenses excessives pour limiter les rejets. »
« Les poissons sont morts en 10 secondes, crachant du sang et perdant leur peau comme s'ils avaient été plongés dans de l'eau bouillante. »
« CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy. »
1937Scandale
Monsanto aware of its products' toxicity
Monsanto attended an industry conference where the toxic effects of chlorinated biphenyls on the liver and skin were presented. Internal documents show that the company was fully aware of the risks from this date onward.
Source : Proceedings, industrial conference 1937
1966Scandale
Monsanto discovers fish die in 10 seconds
Monsanto employees discovered that fish placed in a stream near the Anniston (Alabama) plant died within 10 seconds, spitting blood and shedding their skin as if they had been plunged into boiling water. The company informed no one.
Source : Documents internes Monsanto, révélés en 2002
1968Scandale
The Yusho disaster in Japan
In Kyushu (Japan), rice oil produced by the Kanemi company was contaminated by PCBs used as a heat-transfer fluid. More than 14,000 people were poisoned, and more than 500 would die. The symptoms — chloracne, liver lesions, neurological disorders — were devastating. This became known as 'Yusho disease'.
Source : Archives médicales japonaises, Yusho Study Group
1969Scandale
The Aroclor committee: protecting business at all costs
On 25 August 1969, Monsanto created an 'Ad Hoc Aroclor Committee' to protect its PCB business, which generated $22 million in annual turnover and $10 million in gross profit. An internal memo concluded: 'We can't afford to lose one dollar of business.'
Source : Mémo interne Monsanto, 25 août 1969
1969Scandale
7,500 times the legal limit in an Anniston creek
Monsanto measured PCB concentrations 7,500 times above legal limits in Snow Creek, a stream near its Anniston (Alabama) plant. The internal report concluded there was 'little interest in incurring excessive expenses to limit discharges'. The local population was not informed.
Source : Documents internes Monsanto, révélés par l'EWG en 2002
1979Scandale
The Yu-cheng disaster in Taiwan
An incident similar to Yusho struck central Taiwan. Rice oil was contaminated by PCBs (Kanechlor 400 and 500) used in the deodorisation process. More than 2,000 people were poisoned. Children born to exposed mothers showed developmental delays and skin abnormalities.
Source : Archives médicales taïwanaises, Yu-cheng Study
Health disasters
Yusho, Yu-cheng, Hudson: the human cost
In 1968, in Kyushu, Japan, rice oil produced by the Kanemi company was contaminated by PCBs used as a heat transfer fluid. More than 14,000 people were poisoned. The symptoms were devastating: chloracne, liver damage, neurological disorders, cancers. More than 500 people died. This was the "Yusho disease".
In 1979, a nearly identical incident struck Taiwan. More than 2,000 people were poisoned by contaminated rice oil — the "Yu-cheng disease". Children born to exposed mothers showed developmental delays and skin abnormalities. The effects were transgenerational.
In the United States, General Electric discharged more than 500,000 kg of PCBs into the Hudson River over thirty years. Around 320 km of waterway were contaminated. It is the largest Superfund site in the country. The cleanup, completed in 2015, cost more than 1.7 billion dollars — and contamination persists.
14'000+
Yusho (Japan, 1968)
people poisoned, 500+ deaths
2'000+
Yu-cheng (Taiwan, 1979)
people poisoned, transgenerational effects
320 km
Hudson River (USA)
km of waterway contaminated by GE
Swiss context
PCBs in Switzerland: a toxic legacy
In Switzerland, PCBs were widely used in construction between 1955 and 1975. They are found primarily in the sealant masses of expansion joints in reinforced concrete buildings, but also in anti-corrosion paints, facade coatings, and glazing mastics.
Approximately half of concrete buildings constructed between 1955 and 1975 in Switzerland contain PCB-laden joints. The ban on PCBs in open systems dates to 1972, but import and use continued until 1975. A total ban was not enacted until 1986.
Today, Swiss regulations require joint analysis before any renovation or demolition. Sealant masses containing more than 50 mg/kg of PCBs must be carefully removed. For permanently occupied buildings, the maximum indoor air concentration is set at 2 µg PCB/m³ (annual average).
PCB-containing materials in Swiss construction
Expansion joints (connection joints, structural element joints, separation joints)
Anti-corrosion paints on metal structures
Facade coatings and exterior paints
Glazing sealants (windows, doors)
Industrial floor coatings
Interior renders and plasters
Pipe penetration sealants
Paints on radiators, pipework, and metal frames
Mandatory analysis before construction work
Joint sealant masses installed before 1976 must be analysed for PCBs prior to any renovation or demolition work, in accordance with OLED (construction waste module), from 10 linear metres per project.
Disposal threshold: 50 mg/kg
Sealant masses containing more than 50 mg/kg of PCBs must be carefully removed and disposed of as special waste. Above 1% (10,000 mg/kg), ambient air measurements are required.
Indoor air limit values
Dwellings, hospitals, care homes: max. 2 µg PCB/m³ (annual average). Offices, schools: max. 6 µg PCB/m³. These values are defined by FOEN and FOPH.
1972Suisse
Switzerland bans PCBs in open systems
Switzerland banned the use of PCBs in open systems — sealant joints, paints, and coatings. However, importation and use continued until 1975. PCBs remained authorised in closed systems (transformers, capacitors).
Source : Ordonnance suisse sur les substances dangereuses
1986Suisse
Switzerland bans PCBs completely
Switzerland extended the PCB ban to all uses, including closed systems (transformers, capacitors, oils). Disposal of PCB-containing equipment became mandatory. But millions of contaminated joints and paint coatings remained in place in buildings.
Source : ORRChim — Ordonnance sur la réduction des risques liés aux produits chimiques
1972 — 2025
The bans: too little, too late
From the first Swiss restriction in 1972 to the Stockholm Convention deadline in 2025, bans came after decades of mass production. But even after production stopped, PCBs remain present in millions of buildings worldwide.
Year
Country / Treaty
Note
1972
Switzerland
Open systems (joints, paints) — importation until 1975
1976
United States
TSCA — production halted 1977, ban effective 1979
1985
Germany
Progressive ban
1986
Switzerland
Total ban (all systems)
1987
United Kingdom
Ban on sale and use
1987
France
Prohibition decree
2001
Stockholm Convention
Global ban — 12 initial POPs
2004
European Union
Regulation (EC) 850/2004 on POPs
2025
Stockholm deadline
Elimination of all PCB-containing equipment
Key figures
Behind every statistic lie contaminated lives, destroyed ecosystems, and astronomical costs. PCBs are a planetary toxic legacy.
1'300'000 t
tonnes of PCBs produced worldwide (1929–1993)
Cumulative world production
1’300’000 t
More than 1.3 million tonnes of PCBs produced between 1929 and 1993, of which 635,000 tonnes in the United States alone (Monsanto).
Yusho (Japan, 1968)
14’000+
People poisoned by PCB-contaminated rice oil. More than 500 documented deaths.
Yu-cheng (Taiwan, 1979)
2’000+
People poisoned in a similar incident. Transgenerational effects observed in children.
Hudson River (USA)
500’000 kg
Quantity of PCBs discharged by General Electric into the Hudson River over 30 years. Cleanup cost: more than $1.7 billion.
Anniston (Alabama)
USD 700 mio
Amount of the judicial settlement paid by Monsanto for PCB contamination of the city of Anniston and its residents.
Swiss buildings
~50%
Estimated proportion of reinforced concrete buildings constructed between 1955 and 1975 that contain PCB-laden joints in Switzerland.
Today
PCBs: forever pollutants
PCBs are "forever chemicals" — eternal pollutants. Their exceptional chemical stability, which made them the ideal industrial material, is precisely what makes them so dangerous: they barely degrade in the environment.
PCBs bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of living organisms and biomagnify along the food chain. Each link concentrates more PCBs than the previous one. Top predators — including humans — accumulate the highest doses.
PCBs cross the placental barrier during pregnancy and accumulate in breast milk. They are found in the milk of women worldwide, including in regions where PCBs were never produced. In 2013, the IARC classified them as confirmed carcinogens (Group 1), confirming their link to malignant melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and breast cancer.
« On a sous-estimé les effets du PCB. »
« Les PCB sont les polluants éternels oubliés. »
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification
Water / sedimentsTraces
PCBs persist in aquatic sediments for decades
Plankton / invertebrates×10
First accumulation in filter-feeding organisms
Fish×100–×1'000
Concentration in fatty tissues of fish
Predators (birds, marine mammals)×10'000–×100'000
Massive concentrations in apex predators
Humans (breast milk, blood)Détectable partout
Found in breast milk across the world
Have your joints and coatings analysed
A professional diagnosis identifies PCBs in joints, paints, and coatings of your building. Mandatory before any renovation for buildings constructed before 1976.
Request a diagnosis →Complete timeline
From the first synthesis in 1881 to the Stockholm Convention deadline in 2025: all the key events in PCB history.
1881Découverte
First laboratory synthesis
German chemists Schmidt and Schultz performed the first synthesis of polychlorinated biphenyls by direct chlorination of biphenyl. A laboratory curiosity that would not find industrial application for another fifty years.
Source : Schmidt & Schultz, 1881 — Annalen der Chemie
1929Industrie
Commercial production by Swann Chemical
The Swann Chemical Company of St. Louis (Missouri) launched the first commercial production of PCBs. The product was marketed as a miracle fluid: stable, non-flammable, an excellent electrical insulator. This was the beginning of a planetary contamination.
Source : Swann Chemical Company, industrial archives
1935Industrie
Monsanto acquires Swann Chemical
Monsanto acquired Swann Chemical and became the sole American producer of PCBs. The company marketed PCBs under the brand name 'Aroclor' and massively expanded their industrial applications. PCBs became a 22-million-dollar-a-year business.
Source : Archives Monsanto
1936Alerte
Harvard documents the first liver damage
Researchers at Harvard University published a study demonstrating that PCB exposure causes severe liver lesions in workers. Monsanto was informed but made no changes to its products or practices.
Source : Harvard School of Public Health, 1936
1937Alerte
Three workers die at Halowax
Three workers at the Halowax Corporation plant died after exposure to chlorinated biphenyl vapours. Autopsy revealed massive hepatic necrosis. The industry was alerted but the product remained on the market without restriction.
Source : Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, 1937
1937Scandale
Monsanto aware of its products' toxicity
Monsanto attended an industry conference where the toxic effects of chlorinated biphenyls on the liver and skin were presented. Internal documents show that the company was fully aware of the risks from this date onward.
Source : Proceedings, industrial conference 1937
1950sIndustrie
Widespread use in construction
PCBs were incorporated into sealant compounds for expansion joints, paints, and facade coatings of reinforced concrete buildings. In Switzerland, approximately half of all reinforced concrete buildings constructed between 1955 and 1975 contain PCB-laden joints.
1966Découverte
Sören Jensen discovers PCBs in the environment
Swedish chemist Sören Jensen of Stockholm University made an accidental discovery that changed everything: while analysing pike and eagle samples, he identified enormous quantities of unknown substances — PCBs. They were everywhere in the environment, from fish to birds to marine sediments.
Source : Jensen S., New Scientist, 15 décembre 1966
1966Scandale
Monsanto discovers fish die in 10 seconds
Monsanto employees discovered that fish placed in a stream near the Anniston (Alabama) plant died within 10 seconds, spitting blood and shedding their skin as if they had been plunged into boiling water. The company informed no one.
Source : Documents internes Monsanto, révélés en 2002
1968Scandale
The Yusho disaster in Japan
In Kyushu (Japan), rice oil produced by the Kanemi company was contaminated by PCBs used as a heat-transfer fluid. More than 14,000 people were poisoned, and more than 500 would die. The symptoms — chloracne, liver lesions, neurological disorders — were devastating. This became known as 'Yusho disease'.
Source : Archives médicales japonaises, Yusho Study Group
1969Scandale
The Aroclor committee: protecting business at all costs
On 25 August 1969, Monsanto created an 'Ad Hoc Aroclor Committee' to protect its PCB business, which generated $22 million in annual turnover and $10 million in gross profit. An internal memo concluded: 'We can't afford to lose one dollar of business.'
Source : Mémo interne Monsanto, 25 août 1969
1969Scandale
7,500 times the legal limit in an Anniston creek
Monsanto measured PCB concentrations 7,500 times above legal limits in Snow Creek, a stream near its Anniston (Alabama) plant. The internal report concluded there was 'little interest in incurring excessive expenses to limit discharges'. The local population was not informed.
Source : Documents internes Monsanto, révélés par l'EWG en 2002
1972Suisse
Switzerland bans PCBs in open systems
Switzerland banned the use of PCBs in open systems — sealant joints, paints, and coatings. However, importation and use continued until 1975. PCBs remained authorised in closed systems (transformers, capacitors).
Source : Ordonnance suisse sur les substances dangereuses
1976Interdiction
The EPA bans manufacture in the United States
The US Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), leading to the prohibition of PCB manufacture in the United States from 1979. Monsanto ceased production in 1977. But 635,000 tonnes had already been sold on American soil.
Source : TSCA, US Congress, 1976
1979Scandale
The Yu-cheng disaster in Taiwan
An incident similar to Yusho struck central Taiwan. Rice oil was contaminated by PCBs (Kanechlor 400 and 500) used in the deodorisation process. More than 2,000 people were poisoned. Children born to exposed mothers showed developmental delays and skin abnormalities.
Source : Archives médicales taïwanaises, Yu-cheng Study
1979Interdiction
Total ban in the United States
The EPA implemented the complete prohibition of the manufacture, processing, and distribution of PCBs in the United States. Cumulative American production had reached 635,000 tonnes. Estimated total world cumulative production exceeded 1.3 million tonnes.
Source : EPA, Code of Federal Regulations, 1979
1983Justice
The Hudson River declared a Superfund site
The Hudson River (New York) contamination site was listed as a Superfund site by the EPA. General Electric had discharged more than 500,000 kg of PCBs over thirty years from its Fort Edward and Hudson Falls plants. Nearly 320 km of the river were contaminated — the largest Superfund site in the country.
Source : EPA, Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site
1986Suisse
Switzerland bans PCBs completely
Switzerland extended the PCB ban to all uses, including closed systems (transformers, capacitors, oils). Disposal of PCB-containing equipment became mandatory. But millions of contaminated joints and paint coatings remained in place in buildings.
Source : ORRChim — Ordonnance sur la réduction des risques liés aux produits chimiques
2001Interdiction
Stockholm Convention — global ban
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was signed on 22 May 2001. PCBs were among the 12 initial pollutants (the 'Dirty Dozen') targeted for phased elimination. Governments committed to eliminating PCB-containing equipment by 2025.
Source : Convention de Stockholm, PNUE, 2001
2002Justice
Monsanto convicted in Anniston: $700 million
Monsanto and its subsidiary Solutia agreed to a $700 million settlement for PCB contamination in Anniston (Alabama). Thousands of pages of internal documents were made public, revealing decades of concealment. The local population discovered it had been knowingly poisoned.
Source : Beasley Allen Law Firm, 2003 ; EWG, 2002
2013Alerte
PCBs classified as confirmed carcinogens (Group 1)
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (CIRC/IARC) reclassified PCBs into Group 1 — confirmed human carcinogens. The link with malignant melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma was confirmed. PCBs are also associated with breast cancer.
Source : CIRC/IARC, Monographie vol. 107, 2013
2015Justice
End of Hudson River dredging
Phase 2 of the Hudson River cleanup was completed. General Electric had removed approximately 2.5 million cubic metres of PCB-contaminated sediment along 65 km of the river. Total cost exceeded $1.7 billion. Analyses show contamination persists.
Source : EPA, Hudson River Cleanup, 2015
2025Interdiction
Stockholm Convention deadline
The year 2025 marks the deadline set by the Stockholm Convention for the elimination of PCB-containing equipment. Yet millions of contaminated joints, paints, and coatings remain in buildings worldwide. In Switzerland, PCBs are still discovered during every renovation campaign.
Source : Convention de Stockholm, objectif 2025
Justice
The lawsuits and the convictions
After decades of contamination, justice finally caught up with those responsible. The Anniston trial against Monsanto remains one of the largest industrial pollution cases in American history. The Hudson River cleanup by General Electric is the most costly ever undertaken.
Legal timeline
1983
The Hudson River declared a Superfund site
The Hudson River (New York) contamination site was listed as a Superfund site by the EPA. General Electric had discharged more than 500,000 kg of PCBs over thirty years from its Fort Edward and Hudson Falls plants. Nearly 320 km of the river were contaminated — the largest Superfund site in the country.
2002
Monsanto convicted in Anniston: $700 million
Monsanto and its subsidiary Solutia agreed to a $700 million settlement for PCB contamination in Anniston (Alabama). Thousands of pages of internal documents were made public, revealing decades of concealment. The local population discovered it had been knowingly poisoned.
2015
End of Hudson River dredging
Phase 2 of the Hudson River cleanup was completed. General Electric had removed approximately 2.5 million cubic metres of PCB-contaminated sediment along 65 km of the river. Total cost exceeded $1.7 billion. Analyses show contamination persists.
Sources and references
This page is based on verifiable and recognised sources. The facts presented are documented in the scientific literature, court archives, reports of official institutions, and internal documents revealed during trials.
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