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SOURCES OF EMISSIONS OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS INTO THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AND INDOOR AIR
Citation:
MacLeod, K. SOURCES OF EMISSIONS OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS INTO THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AND INDOOR AIR. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/4-79/022.
Description:
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) have been identified in air samples from many parts of the world since 1960s. This study was undertaken to identify and compare different sources of PCB in indoor and outdoor air. All sampling was performed in central North Carolina. The suspected sources that were tested were flourescent light ballasts, landfills, electrical substations, a transformer manufacturer, and the sites of illegal dumpings. Defective light ballasts emit large quantities of PCB and are an important indoor source. Capacitors in small electrical equipment may also be an important source. In general, indoor air levels of PCB were at least one order of magnitude higher than outdoor levels. The data indicate that the landfills and electrical substations tested are not major sources of PCB. The transformer manufacturer had elevated levels of PCB in the immediate area of the plant but did not contribute greatly to the levels found off the property. The spill sites also had elevated levels of the contaminant in their immediate area, but the levels 50-100 m away were normal for rural areas.