The Center for Disease Control launched an investigation at North Carolina State University’s Poe Hall after more than 150 people were diagnosed with different types of cancer.
Cases of lymphoma, thyroid and breast cancer have been reported among staff, students and alumni who spent time in the department building earlier this year.
The building closed in November 2023 amid reports of exposure to concerning levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic chemicals linked to cancer.
An investigation conducted the previous month found that PCB levels in five rooms were more than 38 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) construction limit.
As a result, a division of the CDC has begun investigating possible cancer hotspots in the once-busy university building.
Poe Hall, a classroom building at North Carolina State University, closed amid concerns about polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have been linked to cancer.
As a result, a division of the CDC has begun investigating possible cancer hotspots in the once-busy university building.
Jessica Rinsky, an epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an official letter: “We are taking steps to understand the occurrence of cancer among North Carolina State University employees who worked in the building.”
The expert has reportedly asked the state of North Carolina to cross-check Poe Hall employees with the state’s cancer registry and provide local cancer data to determine whether an excess of “specific cancer types” occurred. among Poe Hall workers, according to WRAL.
Attorney Bryan Brice, who represents the patients, said his clients were “thrilled” that an investigation had been launched and believed about 25 of the victims had already died.
‘We are excited and happy that the CDC and NIOSH cancer cluster study is in full swing.
More than 150 people have been diagnosed with cancer linked to Poe Hall, which taught education and psychology classes to 4,000 students
‘We have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of clients who are sick and suffering and (have) cancer. We understand that there may be up to 25 people who have died of cancer who worked at Poe Hall.
‘It is a toxic building. I was worried. I was glad we had PPE and protective gear. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were banned in 1979 for a reason. “They are toxic,” he said. ABC11.
Some of Brice’s clients include Sarah Glad, a 35-year-old mother, who dreamed of using her degrees from NC State to run for office.
However, her dreams were cut short when she died of stage four breast cancer, which her family said was related to attending classes at Poe Hall.
Sarah Glad, who attended NC State from 2007 to 2013, died at the age of 35 due to stage four breast cancer.
The dozens of cancer cases and their links to the university building were exposed after a months-long investigation by local news station WRAL.
Sarah attended NC State from 2007 to 2013, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Her husband, Robbie Glad, said WRALwho investigated the cases, that his wife spent much of her master’s program at Poe Hall.
Years later, within months of each other, Sarah and a former classmate were diagnosed with breast cancer. Sara was only 33 years old.
She was able to fulfill a dream and become a mother in August 2022, even as cancer ravaged her body.
However, in January 2024, at the age of 35, he died from the disease.
Jessica Rinsky, an epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an official letter: “We are taking steps to understand the occurrence of cancer among North Carolina State University employees who worked in the building.”
NC State’s investigation into Poe Hall began in August 2023 when an employee filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
Poe Hall, which taught education and psychology classes to 4,000 students, was built in 1971, when PCBs were commonly used in industrial products such as oils, insulators and electrical appliances such as televisions, lighting and refrigerators.
PCBs, including those used to build Poe Hall, were largely mass-produced by agricultural giant Monsanto until they were banned in 1979 amid concerns that they harmed humans and the environment.
According to the EPA, there is conclusive evidence that PCBs can cause cancer in animals, as well as harm their immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.
The agency classifies these chemicals as “probably carcinogenic” to humans.
According to the CDC, exposure to PCBs can cause an increase in enzymes linked to liver damage, skin lesions, and respiratory problems.
Animal studies have shown effects such as weight loss, fatty liver, thyroid damage, and cancer.
NC State’s investigation into Poe Hall began in August 2023 when an employee filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
The complaint “alleged health and/or safety risks related to Poe Hall,” according to the university’s updates page for the investigation.
Health officials began sampling the seven-story building in October and found PCB levels more than 38 times the EPA’s safe limits for construction.
