A federal report says employees who worked in a now-closed building at North Carolina State University could have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. The report states, however, that more research is needed to prove a definitive connection between cancer cases among employees and exposure to those chemicals.
N.C. State closed Poe Hall in 2023, after building inspectors found high levels of chemicals known as PCBs. These substances were used in building construction until they were banned in the United States in 1979. PCBs are linked to adverse health effects, including cancer.
After the building's closure, the university requested a report from the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIOSH published its investigation earlier this month. It found high levels of PCBs in workspaces and the building's heating and cooling ducts. Researchers found that PCB levels exceeded safe exposure thresholds set by the federal government.
NIOSH also examined the health histories of 4,660 employees who worked at the building at any time between 1995 and 2022. 111 cases of melanoma, breast cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were found among this group. Of those, 92 were "plausibly related" to PCB exposure in Poe Hall.
Investigators found higher rates of melanoma, especially among female employees. The report said breast cancer cases were elevated but not statistically different from expected levels among the general population.
The NIOSH team said the findings do not point to why there is a high number of cancer cases in Poe Hall workers. "It could be due to exposure to harmful substances at work. It can also be because of other factors like differences in access to medical care and cancer screening, lifestyle differences, general variability in the occurrence of cancer, or limitations in evaluation methods," the report said. University employees may have access to better medical care and cancer screenings; the researchers said this could be one reason for the higher number of reported cases.
The report concluded that only a "specially designed epidemiologic study" can prove the connection between high PCB levels and cancer cases.
N.C. State sent the report to Triangle media outlets Monday evening. "Many of us are intimately acquainted with the difficult journey of battling health concerns. Our thoughts and support continue for anyone currently going through treatment and for those who have endured serious health challenges," the university said in an accompanying statement.
The university is suing Monsanto, the chemical company that produced the PCBs used in Poe Hall's construction. N.C. State says Monsanto—and not the university—should be held liable for any health problems related to Poe Hall. Current and former staff have filed their own suit. They argue N.C. State should have done more to warn employees about the building's health hazards.
