Ecological assessment of a region with PCB emissions using samples of soil, vegetation and breast milk: a case study.

An ecological assessment is performed by using a data bank of air, soil, vegetation and biology data from the area of a capacitor plant in Serpukhov, Russia. Over a number of years the use of PCBs for filling capacitors has brought about environmental contamination beyond the plant's sanitary zone, in particular along a stream where vegetables and berries are grown commercially. A correlation has been found between abnormally high concentrations of PCBs in breast milk of women living in the proximity of the plant and the occurrence of diathesis in babies. A number of remedial measures have been developed in conjunction with the city's sanitary service.