PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, a toxic by-product found in older electrical transformers and capacitors) are among the most ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants.  Although banned in most western nations since the 1970s, PCBs continue to be found in a variety of foods, including fish, cheese, and fatty meats.  Jacobson has found that exposure to suprisingly low levels of these compounds adversely affects intellectual functions, particularly attention and reading skills, in school-age children.
Cosponsored by: College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, Environmental Council, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Community Health, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Campus Honors Program, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Howard Hughes Program for Undergraduate Education in the Life Sciences, Interdisciplinary Environmental Toxicology Program, Medical Scholars Program, Neuroscience Program, Women's Studies Program