The Centers for Disease Control has launched an investigation into North Carolina State University's Poe Hall and more than 150 people have been diagnosed with various types of cancer.
Cases of lymphoma, thyroid and breast cancer were reported among employees, students and graduates who stayed in the branch building at the beginning of this year.
The building closed in November 2023 following reports of exposure to alarming levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic chemicals associated with cancer.
An investigation conducted a month earlier found that PCB levels in five rooms were more than 38 times the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) building limit.
As a result, a division of the CDC began investigating possible clusters of cancer in the once-busy university building.
Poe Hall at North Carolina State University closed due to concerns over polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 'forever chemicals' linked to cancer
As a result, the CDC began investigating possible clusters of cancer in the once-busy university building
Jessica Rinsky, an epidemiologist at the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an official letter: “We are taking steps to understand the incidence of cancer among North Carolina State University employees who worked in this building.”
According to reports, the expert has asked the state of North Carolina to link Poe Hall employees to the state cancer registry and provide local cancer data to determine whether an excessive number of “certain types of cancers” occurred among Poe Hall employees. WRAL.
Attorney Bryan Brice, representing the patients, said his clients were “excited” about the start of the investigation 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.
In connection with Poe Hall, which organized educational and psychological classes for 4,000 students, over 150 people were diagnosed with cancer
“We have hundreds, hundreds, hundreds of customers who are sick, suffering and have cancer. We understand that there may be as many as 25 people in Poe Hall who have died of cancer.
“It's a toxic building. I was worried. I was glad we were wearing PPE and safety equipment. PCBs – polychlorinated biphenyls – were banned in 1979 for a reason. They are toxic,” he told ABC11.
Brice's clients include Sarah Glad, a 35-year-old mother of one who dreamed of using her North Carolina degrees to run for office.
However, her dreams were cut short when she died of stage four breast cancer, which her family believes has to do with attending classes at Poe Hall.
Sarah Glad, who attended NC State from 2007 to 2013, died at age 35 of stage four breast cancer
A months-long investigation by local news station WRAL uncovered dozens of cancer cases and their links to the university building.
Sarah attended NC State from 2007 to 2013, earning her bachelor's and master's degrees.
Her husband, Robbie Glad, told WRAL, who investigated the cases, that his wife spent most of her graduate studies at Poe Hall.
Years later, within months of each other, Sarah and her former classmate were diagnosed with breast cancer. Sarah was only 33 years old.
She managed to fulfill one dream and in August 2022 she became a mother, even though her body was ravaged by cancer.
However, in January 2024, at the age of 35, she died from this disease.
Jessica Rinsky, an epidemiologist at the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an official letter: “We are taking steps to understand the incidence of cancer among North Carolina State University employees who worked in this 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's (NCDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
Poe Hall, which hosted educational and psychological classes for 4,000 students, was built in 1971, when PCBs were widely 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 over concerns that they harmed people and the environment.
According to the EPA, clear evidence shows that PCBs can cause cancer in animals and also damage 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 lead to increased enzyme activity linked to liver damage, skin lesions and respiratory problems.
Animal studies have shown effects such as weight loss, fatty liver disease, 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's (NCDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
The complaint “involved alleged health and/or safety risks associated with Poe Hall,” according to the university's investigation update page.
Health officials began taking samples from the seven-story building in October and found PCB levels exceeding 38 times EPA safe limits for buildings.
