Schools in the UNC System testing for dangerous chemicals in older academic buildings

In 1888, WCU first began as Cullowhee Academy, one teacher training 100 students how to be “competent teachers.” By 1929, the school grew into Western Carolina Teachers College. Finally, 38 years later in 1967, WCU was recognized as a university by North Carolina state legislature. 

Photo by Cora Haste.

Through the evolution of the school, many buildings were erected and demolished. Like many UNC schools, WCU still hosts many historic buildings including the Moore building built in 1924.

However, universities in North Carolina have started finding polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, inside of caulking in historic buildings. 

PCBs are man-made chemicals that were used in manufacturing from 1929 until they were banned in 1979 for having a wide range of toxicity. Caulking with PCBs has been found primarily in buildings from the 1950s to the 1970s according to the EPA. 

“These chemicals can affect your nervous system,” said Mickey Henson, an assistant professor of construction management at the College of Engineering and Technology. 

Henson was an environmental regulator with the state of North Carolina and has been a civil and environmental consultant in several countries. 

“It reminds me of asbestos. These things have been used in construction for many years.” said Henson. 

UNC schools began testing for PCBs in their buildings more frequently since North Carolina State University closed Poe Hall. According to NCSU’s website, Poe Hall was closed in November 2023 because of the presence of PCBs in its caulking.  

Photo by Cora Haste.

WCU most recently tested for PCBs in the Moore building in fall of 2021 before beginning the building’s renovation. 

“Testing is done regularly for things like this,” said Jon Maddy, the director of Safety and Risk Management. 

Moore was built in 1924 and was closed in 2012 due to excessive mold. When the renovation plan for Moore began in 2021, a company called Terracon was used to test for hazardous materials in the building. 

“You always want to have some type of third-party testing, so you don’t have any conflicts of interest,” Maddy said. 

Terracon found traces of PCBs in light switches and fixtures throughout the Moore building, according to the Moore building renovation plan. 

“They were in what is called the light ballast,” said Maddy. “PCBs were used in industrial applications and transformers as oil because they were a nonflammable product.” 

Old buildings are tested for hazardous materials before they are renovated to understand what dangers or concerns could be encountered along the way. 

Testing for these buildings is done before they get renovated to see what type of dangers are inside of these buildings, like PCBs. 

“I think that, in general, PCBs are something to be concerned about,” said Maddy. “That’s the reason we have these surveys done.” 

Since the closing of Poe Hall, other UNC schools such as UNC Charlotte, NC A&T, UNC Asheville and UNC Pembroke, have started testing for PCBs in buildings built before 1979. 

UNC Charlotte and NC A&T showed no signs of PCB in their reports. UNC Asheville and UNC Pembroke found traces in one of their buildings. 

NC State, UNC Chapel Hill and East Carolina University have records of testing before the closing of Poe Hall.