The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
A mixture of compounds having from one to ten bromine atoms attached to a biphenyl ring, analogous to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)s. Manufactured as fire retardants, PBBs were banned after a 1973 Michigan incident when pure product was accidently mixed with cattle feed and distributed throughout the state. PBBs were identified as the cause of weight loss, decreased milk production, and mortality in many dairy herds. Approximately 30,000 cattle, 1.5 million chickens, 1,500 sheep, 6,000 hogs, 18,000 pounds (8,100 kg) of cheese, 34,000 pounds (15,300 kg) of dried milk products, 5 million eggs, and 2,700 pounds (1,215 kg) of butter were eventually destroyed at an estimated cost of $1 million. Although human exposures have been well-documented, long term epidemiological studies have not shown widespread health effects.