Open Book, Open Source: PCB Usage in Mass-Market Paperback Book Adhesives

This study documents an unrecognized source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to indoor and outdoor environments from mass-market paperback book adhesives. The PCB content of common consumer products like books is less documented than industrial products. Patents describe PCBs as components for hot-melt adhesives used for “perfect” bound paperback bookbinding. However, the PCB formulations, concentrations, and dates of use for these adhesives have not been confirmed by chemical analysis. We tested production-dated paperback books manufactured between 1946 and 1974 from six major publishers. Chemical analysis of the binding adhesive confirms the widespread presence of PCBs in paperback books. PCBs were detected in adhesives from all tested books manufactured between 1948 and 1974 (n = 21). High PCB concentrations (6.1–18 wt %/wt), consistent with use as a plasticizer, were found in half the samples (n = 12). We tentatively identified polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) in four samples with lower, ppm-level PCB concentrations. From 1948 to 1974, we estimate that over 6 billion mass-market paperback books were sold domestically, many of which remain in homes, libraries, and stores. Therefore, book adhesives may be a potential PCB source to indoor air and to the environment via paper mill effluent, landfills, and recycled paper.