Assessment of the contamination of a multibuilding facility by polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chen JJ ; Kendall DC ; Kominsky, John R. ; Korfmacher WA ; Rowland KL ; Rushing LG ; Smith LM ; Stalling DL ; Thompson HC Jr.
• Description:
  Polychlorinated-biphenyl (1336363) (PCB), polychlorinated-dibenzo-p- dioxin (36088229) (PCDD), and polychlorinated-dibenzofuran (36088229) (PCDF) contamination was investigated at a multibuilding facility. Several hundred surface wipe samples were taken and smaller numbers of air samples and dust samples were analyzed. The problem was traced to the incomplete incineration of approximately 200 gallons of Aroclor-1254 askarel at the contaminated site over 12 years ago. The effluent from the incinerator was airborne and spread throughout the complex through ventilation systems. The levels of PCBs were higher on the floors and elevated horizontal surfaces of buildings than on the interior walls of the buildings, suggesting that the source was airborne particulate matter and that the particulates settled out onto the floors and horizontal surfaces. PCB concentrations of the floor sampled ranged from 5.1 to 11 milligrams/square meter (mg/m2). Air samples showed PCB concentrations greater than or equal to 1.0 micrograms/cubic meter (microg/m3) for 15 of the 32 sites studied. The highest PCB level measured was 3.4microg/m3. The NIOSH recommended standard for occupational exposure is a time weighted average of 1.0microg/m3. The hypothesis that octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (39001020) (OCDD) can be used as a marker for all the PCDDs and PCDFs and that total PCBs can be used as a marker for the semiquantitative estimation of the PCDDs and PCDFs has been validated as the ratios of OCDD to heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (34465468) and PCBs to OCDD in wipe and dust samples showed good agreement and were reasonably consistent. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Insecticides Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Emission-sources Environmental-contamination Environmental-pollution NIOSH-Author Polychlorinated-hydrocarbons Ventilation-systems
• ISSN:
  0013-936X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Arkansas ; Missouri ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  20
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00163279
• Citation:
  Environ Sci Technol 1986 Jun; 20(6):597-603
• CAS Registry Number:
  1,1′-Biphenyl, chloro derivs. (CAS RN 1336-36-3) ; Hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (CAS RN 34465-46-8) ; Octachlorodibenzofuran (CAS RN 39001-02-0) ; Pentachlorodibenzodioxin (CAS RN 36088-22-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1986
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Science and Technology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ed82394b4aad44d3c7cb065fdfc70189ec950a6c837d744072dde3629f31a342be24d201a78dc36e05d27b9f01341c7ab8c59bc327892d4bb6ada749bd10e6a6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/184992/cdc_184992_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.18 MB ]