Polychlorinated Biphenyls

Today's article will be all about polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs.  But before we begin discussion, what exactly are these?  Well, according to the packet given to us in class, it can be one of 209 chemical compounds where 1-10 chlorine atoms attach to a biphenyl molecule.  These compounds are also called congeners.  These PCBs are oily liquids, and they can be used for many different things.  Some of these things include refrigerators, freezers, microwave ovens, printing inks, paints, plastics, some certain types of adhesives, and much more.  There are some health effects from being exposed to these PCBs as well,  some of which include chloracne, as well as causing burns to the face, skin and eyes.  These PCBs can cause what is known as hyperpigmentation of the skin which is the long version of "color change".  NIOSH considered PCBs to be carcinogens.  Now, as you can see, these PCBs are considered very dangerous to health and safety.  So, they need to be disposed of properly.  PCB remediation waste is any sort of waste that contains PCBs in it, due to any leak or spill.  There are three ways in which you can dispose of PCB remediation waste.  These three ways include self-implementing, performance based and risk based.  Also, you might want to be familiar with a few terms when dealing with PCBs.  A porous surface is a surface that will allow a PCB to pass through it, or penetrate it.  Some of these surfaces include wood, concrete or plaster, cement, or asphalt.  A non-porous surface is an uncoated solid surface that limits any sort of penetration of liquid that might be containing a PCB.  Examples of this include smooth glass or marble.  There are also ways of decontaminating surfaces tat have been exposed to PCBs.  According to the packet there is a list of solvents that can be used as well as different thermal processes that can be used.  PCBs that were in electrical equipment accounted for the majority of all of the PCBs sold in the US.  They contaminate mineral oil, and any electrical equipment made before July 2, 1979 is considered contaminated with PCBs because they were not regulated back then.  The EPA has put regulations on the amount of contamination level that PCBs can be present per  L in drinking water.  It is 5 micrograms per L in drinking water.  In waste water, this level is 100 micrograms per L.  The EPA Spill Policy requires companies to report any spill of more than 1 pound of pure PCB.  Any plant that has in their inventory very large quantities of PCB oil must have a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan, or SPCC.  Also, TSCA sets regulations for the emitting of PCBs into the air.  This regulation is 10 ppm for companies that are in manufacturing.  If you want to know more about the exposure limits of PCBs and the recommendations, you can visit this site here http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=30&po=8 .  I hope this article was helpful in providing information to you about PCBs and where you can find them and how tot stay safe from them.