Re: PCB test kits....5KW

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Gomez Addams <gomezaddams@xxxxxxxxx>


On Jul 13, 2006, at 7:03 PM, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: gary350@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I talked to Bobby Stevens at the power company maintenance shop.
> He says it is extremely rare to find a transformer these days with
> PCBs.   The last one they found was 5 years ago.

Yes, but my X-ray machine was built sometime between WW-II and the
Korean War.

>   They dump the PCB oil into a burn tank with lots of other used
> oil and set it on fire.

I doubt the EPA would approve.  In fact, I'll bet they could get into
a lot of trouble for that.
Usually, one has to incinerate "dangerous" chemicals at VERY high
temperatures for the chemical
of interest to reliably break down.  The Vulcan incinerator ships
managed 1000C.

> >I would have to agree with you here. I'm sure a
> >"basically" petroleum based fluid would burn quite
> >nicely with a far greater concentration of PCB con-
> >taminant than 50 PPM! 50 PPM PCB is the maximum
> >EPA contamination level allowed and I'm sure 1/20,000th
> >part PCB would not impede the combustible character-
> >sitics of petroleum by any perceivable amount, nor would
> >much higher concentrations of PCB, say 40X more PCB
> >concentration, or 1/500th part. PCB itself is not combustible,
> >but I don't think it's going to have a "halon" effect when mixed
> >in small concentrations with petroleum based liquids, either.

I doubt the oil has been changed since this thing was built.
It's probably either PCB or not at all, but probably isn't
mixed.

 - Bill L