Health-hazard evaluation report No. HETA-88-054-1936, US Customs Service, Washington, DC

Technical Report · Mon Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5936760

Reh, C M

An investigation was made of possible hazardous working conditions at the headquarters of the U.S. Customs Service, Washington, D.C. An electrical transformer located in the headquarters building leaked about 30 gallons of a cooling oil known to contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the fall of 1987. Air and surface sampling was performed in and around room B100 where the transformer vault was located. Area air sampling found no detectable levels of PCBs in the vault, in other areas of the room, in an adjacent office and projection room, or in the hallway. Surfaces within the room, including the vault, were heavily contaminated with PCBs with surface concentrations ranging from 3720 to 148,000 micrograms per square meter (microg/sq m). The basement hallway had surface concentrations of 224, 234, and 321microg/sq m. Surface sampling in a nearby office room showed PCB levels to be well below the recognized background concentration. There was a potential health hazard from PCB surface contamination in Room B100. Levels in adjacent areas were above background levels. Specific cleanup recommendations are made.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5936760
• Report Number(s): PB-89-188015/XAB; HETA-88-054-1936
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
BUILDINGS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL BUILDINGS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OFFICE BUILDINGS
POLLUTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
SURVEYS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TRANSFORMERS