Are PCBs in old TVs and electronics causing fatty liver disease?
Likely yes. Long-banned PCBs still in old electronics and buildings link to metabolic fatty liver.
What's actually in it
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in old fluorescent light ballasts, capacitors, transformers, and as a softener in caulks and paint. They were banned in 1979. They don't break down. PCBs from old electronics and old buildings still drift into household dust.
The liver is one of the body's main detoxifying organs, so it bears the brunt of long-lasting chemicals like PCBs.
What the research says
A 2026 review in Cells rounded up evidence on PCBs and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD). The team described PCBs activating receptors that drive fat storage in the liver and disrupting the body's normal lipid metabolism. Higher serum PCBs lined up with worse fatty liver markers in human studies.
The doses doing the damage were everyday body burdens, not factory-worker levels.
If your home or office still has fluorescent fixtures from before the 1980s, push for an upgrade to LED panels. Vacuum and damp-dust often. Older electronics and TVs in storage shouldn't be left to break down in a damp basement: recycle them properly. Eat a low-saturated-fat diet to support liver function.
The research at a glance
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