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Re: The infamous (and odoriferous?) Fair Radio cap





Tesla List wrote:

> I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this, and/or would care to take a
> stab at what it might be from... (the thing has a waxy feel to it in a chalky
> kind of way (?)).
> (given the amount we inhaled during the odor identification phase, I hope no
> one responds with "oh, that sounds like the classic smell of PCBs").

I've smelled that too and don't know what it is unless it is a preservative or
antifungal agent of some sort.  Relax about the PCBs.  PCB aka Askaral or
Firequel
is practically odorless.  Used to swim in the stuff as a power electrician
apprentice before they banned it as a transformer and breaker coolant.  PCB is
actually pretty harmless.  (I know, shock and amazement)  About the only effect
of
really bad exposure, something that's common to many chlorinated hydrocarbons,
is a
rash called chloracne.  Looks just like a bad case of acne but goes away fairly
rapidly.  The phobia from PCB originated because one of the manufacturing
processes
also created a few PPB of dioxin.  Now days even the hazards associated with
dioxin
are being reassessed.  Probably no where near as dangerous as its reputation
holds,
perhaps not dangerous at all.  the whole scare originated from one of those lab
rat
experiments.  We now know that lab rats and humans have little in common. 
(well
OK, maybe with lawyers :-)  (Yeah I know that it is sequestered in the body
fat.
It's inert and no harm has been documented from that effect.  A lot of other
things
hang around in yer fat too.  Hmmm.  wonder if one could use PCBs as a
justification
for liposuction... Hmmm...)

If I were to come upon a PCB cap, I would cherish it.  I'd know that it would
be
impossible for it to cause a fire during a failure.  Of course, I'd have to
disguise it so that some safety nazi wouldn't call the EPA snitch line and I'd
end
up with armed gestapo on my doorsteps.

John (doffing my old retired health-physicist hat)


--
John De Armond
johngd-at-bellsouth-dot-net
Neon John's Custom Neon
"Bendin' Glass 'n Passin' Gas"