Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 91-027-2117, LTV Steel Company, East Chicago, Indiana
In response to a request from employees, an investigation was begun of an incident involving the exposure of workers to polychlorinated-biphenyls (1336363) (PCBs) at the LTV Steel Company (SIC-3312), East Chicago, Indiana. An electrical maintenance worker inspecting the basement motor room of the abandoned 54 inch hot strip mill noted that a barrel was leaking what could have been transformer oil. Workers were running an electrical cable through the basement for a recently built pump house. Samples were taken of standing water (called ground water) in the basement, and of the contents of the drums. Although work was stopped pending results of tests, work was resumed before test results were available. Two of the drums were found to contain PCBs. Contaminated drums were drained and later removed from the area. Work on the electrical cable continued until the job was completed. Ground water contamination was confirmed a week after the conclusion of the job. NIOSH investigators met with labor and management representatives, and inspected the worksite where the exposure had occurred. A review of the environmental findings established that the worksite was contaminated with PCBs at concentrations which warranted concern. Blood test results indicated that employee exposures were probably small as none of the workers had serum PCB concentrations considered to be above background levels. The authors recommend specific measures to reduce the potential for PCB exposure and to control other potential hazards at the facility.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6108335
- Report Number(s):
- PB-92-108489/XAB; HETA--91-027-2117
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FEDERAL REGION V
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDIANA
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
MEDICINE
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
TOXICITY
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION