846 PCBs AND ASSOCIATED AROMATICS
in the PCB when a new source of crude benzene was used
for making the biphenyl. When purchase from this benzene
source was discontinued, and the process better enclosed,
the chloracne problem disappeared.1936Halowax acne was a term first coined by Jones and Alden
in 1936 to describe chloracne induced by PCBs. PCBs were
being manufactured in a distillation process in which biphe-
nyl was extracted from coal tar using benzene, styrene, tol-
uene and xylene. Once the biphenyl was extracted, it was
chlorinated with chlorine gas to produce PCB.Chloracne was identified in workers manufacturing
Aroclors [Schwartz, 1936].1937An early case report of death by cirrhosis of the liver with
acute yellow atrophy may be attributable to PCNs rather
than PCBs [Drinker et al., 1937].1938Morphological changes were observed in rats dosed
orally with PCBs (Aroclor 1265) in concentrations as low as
0.001 mg/Kg/d [Bennett et al., 1938].1943Good and Pensky described the formation of acneiform
eruptions in workers manufacturing Aroclors.
An investigation of dermatitis among cable strippers in
the shipbuilding industry revealed lesions, cysts and kera-
tinization of skin in not only the workers, but also in some
spouses and children [Schwartz, 1943].1944Skin lesions similar to chloracne in humans were observed
in three species of laboratory animals subcutaneously
exposed to Aroclor 1242 at levels ranging from 7 mg/Kg/d
to 138 mg/Kg/d [Miller, 1944].FIGURE 1 The reaction of anhydrous chlorine with biphenyl results in isomers
of homologous series of PCBs.TABLE 2
Commercial PCB mixtures have been produced worldwideTrade name Manufacturer CountryAceclor ACEC Belgium
Apirolio Caffaro Italy
Aroclor Monsanto United States
Clophen Bayer West Germany
Kaneclor Mitsubishi Japan
Pyralene Prodelec France
Pyranol G.E. United States
Pyroclor Monsanto (U.K.) United KingdomC016_003_r03.indd 846C016_003_r03.indd 846 11/18/2005 1:12:22 PM11/18/2005 1:12:22 PM