Document 44kxwnrgbBQDyYb0kdqaGbQg1

Outlook 25-47C ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS MO. JM.000 [ aimo nvl SEP 1975 MoreaSo about PCB's In the May Uu of electronic prod' vet* we reported on the use of poly chlorinated hvnhenvl fPCfll frsuist. Ina oil by capacitor and tramformer manufacturer* In the United State*. The article (pas* IS) reported the conflicting opinion* espoused by the Environmental Protection Agency (whn*e mandat* is to a**ure that dis charge of toxic pollutant* into navi gable water* I* at what It considers an acceptable level) and the various companies who ut PCB's as insulat ing oils, a* to what cohsTTtutei an acceptable level; and the degree of biodegradability of Aroelor 1016 (a PCB sold by Monsanto in the US). In response to the article, the Elec* tronic Industries Association (made up In part of capacitor and trans former manufacturers) did not dis agree with any of the facts given. They did feel, however, that more discussion on the use of PCB's was necessary. - EIA says... The reply, in part,said: "Due to the existence of over 200 variations of rCD's with differing toxicological and biodegradation characteristics, these compounds cannot with any scientific justification, be made the subject of /l.-V HONS 0S6S41 a single standard. It Is therefore mis leading to generalize and treat ail PCB's the same. Recent independent teste mad* at the University of Illi nois show that the PCB compound used by the capacitor industry (Arodor 1016) behaves much differently than other PCB's. Arodor 1016 de grades almost completely in the en vironment, and the bioaccumulation I* much lower than other previously used PCB compound*. In other words, a laTge part of the solution to the PCB problem has been effected through the use of Arodor 1016. The existence of formerly used PCB com pound# in the environment is mash ing this great improvement. "One of the greatest benefits of PCB's is their fir* retardant capabili ties. There is no known substitute which is as aafe. The author of the article failed to point out the numer ous applications for PCB in which a lower fire resistant substitute could be dangerous. Lighting, air-condi tioning, ventilating, welding, power supply, etc., applications cannot be placed in spedal vaults or placed out side. A fire-retardant dielectric such a* Arodor 1016 is needed. "An unattainable standard could effectively halt the manufacture of PCB-impregnated transformers end capacitors. This, in turn, could re quire the expenditure of $500 million a year in additional electrical equipmens *h* consumption of 35 mil lion more barrels of oil per year to produce the increased electrical en ergy needed. "In the final analysis, the users of PCB and Monsanto have voluntarily implemented controls which effec tively make 'the PCB problem' very small. Besides using a PCB which is much safer environmentally than PCB's formerly ueed, the total dis charge to water effluent is extremely small, A survey of capacitor manu facturer* recently found that the daily discharge was 10.7 pounds, which i a small fraction of the 80,000 pounds used per day." Tyler Nowrse Slejf Vice President (EIA) Pert* Diviiion Still more on PCB's The PCB controversy heated up re cently when Ogden Reid, New York Commissioner of Environmental Con servation, warned against eating striped and large mouth bass taken from the Hudson River. Tests had shown PCB concentrations of 350 to 476 parts per million In the large fresh-water bass taken from the river up near Fort Edward in Washington County. Minnows, on which the big ger fiah feed, were found to have con centration* of 40 to 70 ppm. A sampling of the salt-water strip ers taken from the lower Hudson had concentrations of only about 3 ppm. These are the fish that migrate to Long Island Sound, north to New Eng land and south to tha Carolina*. There is a question at to whether a 5 ppm concentration is a hazard to humans. Rod Vandlvert, executive di rector of the Striped Bass Fund, said, "It does not, with our present knowl edge. When ell the facts are known, the problem may disappear." Vandl vert did say that under laboratory conditions 2% ppm did cause repro ductive failure end some carcinogenic by-products in primates. He stressed that this was under laboratory condi tions, and that there is no documented evidence as to what occurs in real life. General Electric, a company that uses PCB as a dielectric in the capaci tors they manufacture has two plants near Fort Edward, N. Y. They have an EPA license that allows them to dump 48 pounds per day into the river. This year, however, the average run off is down to less than 24 pound* pec day. -- WJE electronic products mnoezine