/oss/taxonomy/term/1558/all en /oss/article/health-news-quackery/fearsome-yellow <p>Next time you think of welcoming someone home by tying a yellow ribbon around an old oak tree, you might want to think again. According to a widely circulating report the yellow dye could leave a toxic residue on your hands. What are we talking about? PCBs. Actually one specific PCB, namely PCB-11. Polychlorinated biphenyls have become an environmental pariah, accused of being endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Quite a comedown for chemicals that were once revered as ideal heat transfer fluids and insulating materials in electrical equipment.</p> Mon, 24 Mar 2014 02:56:31 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2117 at /oss