# Sources of Airborne PCB Congeners

> **NIH NIH P42** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2024 · $270,618

## Abstract

SUMMARY: Project 4 – Sources of Airborne PCBs
Project 4 addresses SRP mandates for improved methods for detecting and assessing the hazards of
Superfund chemicals. We will identify and characterize sources of airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
within schools and homes, and near superfund sites with PCB-contaminated sediments. Sources of airborne
PCBs may include building materials contaminated with legacy Aroclor PCBs, as well as consumer products
that are inadvertently contaminated with PCBs through the manufacturing process. Our central hypothesis is
that emissions of airborne PCBs are a function of the properties of the PCB congeners, environmental
variables, and exposed surfaces in which the PCBs reside. We will examine all PCB congeners, and both
Aroclor and non-Aroclor sources of airborne PCBs. We will evaluate emissions from materials and products
found in schools and neighborhoods in our partner communities using methods that are accurate, precise, and
reproducible. Data produced by Project 4 will enable cost-effective decisions for their removal.
We will address Project 4’s central hypothesis by pursuing the following Specific Aims: Aim 1: We will develop
novel passive sampling materials. We will design and manufacture tailored electrospun nanofiber mat (ENM)
as an efficient and adaptable material for passive air sampling. We will design, calibrate, and deploy samplers
equipped with this novel material to detect and measure PCB congeners in the environment. Aim 2: We will
identify specific sources of airborne PCBs in schools and homes. ISRP research has already shown that
building materials contaminated with Aroclors, and consumer products contaminated with non-Aroclor
congeners, can contribute to high levels of PCBs in indoor air. We will measure airborne PCBs in schools and
homes of Columbus Junction and West Liberty, Iowa; generate an inventory of potential sources in the school
rooms; and measure emissions from those materials. We will also develop new laboratory methods to measure
emissions and will apply computational fluid dynamics modeling of school rooms to determine the role of each
material or consumer product as a source of airborne PCBs. Aim 3: We will characterize emissions from
contaminated waters nation-wide. We hypothesize that contaminated waters are a major outdoor source of
airborne PCB exposure nation-wide. We will use existing public data to predict emissions, dispersion, and
annual median air concentrations in communities surrounding these waters. We will test our prediction through
local measurements of airborne PCBs and communicate our findings to local communities and environmental
protection officials, including the EPA. Our studies require close collaboration with the ISRP Analytical Core,
Community Engagement Core, and Data Management and Analysis Core. Through these collaborations,
Project 4 will provide strategies to prioritize technically and economically practical remediation options that
focus on ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10767907
- **Project number:** 5P42ES013661-19
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Keri C Hornbuckle
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $270,618
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-05-12 → 2025-05-04

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10767907

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10767907, Sources of Airborne PCB Congeners (5P42ES013661-19). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10767907. Licensed CC0.

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