Phil Nelson wrote:
PCBs are one of the most dangerous substances ever created. Oil-filled
capacitors containing PCB were made as early as the 1930s. The AR88 was a
wartime set, more likely than consumer radios to contain oil-filled
capacitors.

There is no "safe level" of exposure to PCBs, and they do not break down in
the environment. I would not risk cleaning out the old cans and putting new
capacitors into them. Why not contact your local hazardous waste agency and
find out how you can safely (and legally) dispose of the capacitors?

This web article -- I'm sure you can find many others -- gives some history
about PCBs and their health effects.

http://www.foxriverwatch.com/monsanto2a_pcb_pcbs.html

It's a very interesting paper, it appears to have been written mostly
to scare, and to hopefully encourage one to become an environmental activist.

However, every single point you mention above about the dangers is counter to
what is actually said in the article: it does biodegrade, it takes fairly
large exposure to cause chloroacne, or liver problems...

Did you actually read the article?

-Chuck