by Aaron Warner
At the most recent school board meeting Hartford High School Director of Facilities, Jonathan Garthwaite, updated the board on the status of the school building needing major renovations due to potential PCB contamination. They are currently awaiting results from the air sample testing done earlier this month.
On the hook for the bill will be either Hartford taxpayers or Monsanto. The state of Vermont, which requires testing for PCBs in buildings built before 1980, has already stated it will not be giving any financial assistance.
Monsanto is a large chemical company who bought the original developer of PCBs the Swann Chemical Company back in the early 1900s. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic organic chemicals banned in the U.S. in 1979 but still present in buildings constructed and renovated between the 1930s and late 1970s. PCBs were used in such things as ballasts (for lights) and caulking (for sealing windows, etc.)
Exposure to PCBs in buildings, primarily through inhalation of vapors, dust ingestion, or skin contact, can pose health risks, though the severity depends on the concentration, duration, and frequency of exposure. PCB exposure has been classified as a Group 1 probable human carcinogen with animal studies linking it to liver cancer and human studies link occupational exposure to increased risk of liver, biliary tract, and melanoma cancers.
Low-level exposure in buildings, like those experienced by students and faculty at Hartford High School, is considered unlikely to cause immediate cancer, but long-term exposure may elevate risk, particularly for vulnerable populations like children or pregnant women. A 2023 Vermont study noted PCB levels in schools often exceed EPA air guidance levels, raising concerns about cumulative exposure.
The Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR) has archived CDC studies showing PCBs can impair nervous system development, particularly in fetuses, infants, and children. Prenatal exposure via maternal body burden is associated with:
- Reduced visual recognition memory, short-term memory, and motor skills in infants.
- Lower IQ scores, reading comprehension deficits, and attention issues in children up to age 11.
A 2013 NYC pilot study found elevated PCB air levels in schools, though health effects were not conclusively linked to these exposures. Vermont’s 2021 law (Act 74) mandates PCB testing in pre-1980 schools due to concerns about neurodevelopment impacts. Other areas of study have linked PCB exposure to increase risks for immune system, cardiovascular, reproductive and endocrine systems.
Exposure pathways in buildings include:
- Caulk and sealants as they deteriorate
- Flourescent lighting ballasts as they age and leak oil
- Paints and adhesives release PCBs when disturbed during renovations
Inhalation, dermal (skin) contact and dust ingestion, such as hand to mouth, are all exposure routes to be concerned about for students, parents and staff.
The size and scope of the Hartford H.S. project is estimated to be 60% of the school including the gymnasium. Garthwaite indicated this rebuild will need to be accomplished quickly and calls for a temporary kitchen until the project is completed.
The Chronicle will be following this story as it develops.
The author is a VDC columnist and Upper Valley regional reporter. He lives in Hartford, VT where he owns two award-winning small businesses. He is a graduate of Leadership Upper Valley class of 2010.