New Solutions, A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, has joined the public health blog, The Pump Handle.  A set of posts on PCBs in schools can be found at,  http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/pcbs-in-schools/.  This dialog was generated by an article by Robert Herrick in the latest issue of New Solutions - School Health and Environment.

Robert F. Herrick of the Harvard School of Public Health wrote an excellent article on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) exposure in schools, which was published in the most recent issue of New Solutions. This article has been made available for free download by the journal’s publisher, Baywood Inc.

The piece has already sparked some dialogue on the testing and regulation of PCB exposure for school maintenance workers, who are pegged with the important task of removing potentially toxic material that may be damaging children’s health. David M. Newman of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH) wrote a response to Dr. Herrick’s piece, in which he addresses major gaps in policy and practice and the need for a strong labor presence to take the lead in demanding necessary worker protection.

Dr. Herrick responded by outlining some of the research done on PCB exposure among construction workers.

The posting has the abstract of Dr. Herrick’s piece, as well as the following responses.  Check it out and join the dialog.