United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pesticides and
Toxic Substances TS-793
Washington DC 20460
June _1980
905R80126
4EPA
What are PCB's?
Why are PCB's a
Problem?
Toxics Information
Series
RGB's
I>olychlor1nated blphenyls, commonly called PCB's, were manufactured
1n the United States from 1929 until 1977. Production of these
Industrial chemicals, by law, 1s no longer allowed In the United
States, because they are now known to be hazardous to health and
the environment. But many of the hundreds of millions of pounds of
the PCB's once widely used are still abroad in the land. This
information bulletin explains the hazards of PCB's and what the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is doing to help safe-
guard public health from the risks of PCB's.
PCB's are part of the broad family of organic chemicals known as
chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCB's range in consistency from heavy
oily liquids, weighing 10-12 pounds per gallon, to waxy solids.
These synthetic chemicals have a high boiling point, a high
degree of chemical stability, low solubility in water, high
solubility 1n fat, low flammability, and low electrical conductivity
—Ideal properties for many.commercial uses. PCB's were and
continue to be used primarily as cooling liquids in electrical
transformers and capacitors. Most of the PCB's marketed in the
United States are still 1n service 1n those types of products.
PCB's have also been used as heat transfer and hydraulic fluids;
as dye carrlerfs 1n carbonless copy paper; in paints, adhesives.
and caulking compounds; and as sealants and road coverings to
control dust.
PCB's are a problem because they are hazardous to health at
extremely low levels. Among the most stable chemicals known,
PCB's decompose very slowly over a period of several decades once
they are released Into the environment. They remain 1n the
environment and are taken up and stored in the fatty tissue of
all organisms. The concentration of PCB's 1n fatty tissue in-
creases with time even though the exposure levels to PCB's are
very low. In technical language, this processes called bio-
accumulation. Another problem, to use another technical term,
1s b1omagn1f1cat4on—PCB's build up in the food chain. As living
organisms containing PCB's are eaten by other organisms, the
amount of PCB's consumed by each higher organism Increases.
The concentrations consumed by humans, at the end of the food
chain, can thus be significant.
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Section 6(e) of TSCA requires the proper disposal of PCBs,
and prohibits their manufacture, processing, distribution in
commerce, and use. EPA has issued regulations implementing these
provisions. The following is a summary to date of these actions.
On May 31, 1979, EPA issued regulations effective July 1,
1979, to implement the Congressional ban on the manufacture,
processing, distribution in commerce and use of PCBs, and to
control the disposal of PCBs. EPA was sued by the Environmental
Defense Fund (EOF) over certain provisions of these rules, which
were subsequently remanded to EPA for additional rulemaking by
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Specifically, EPA needed to issue additional rulemaking dealing
with the use of PCBs in electrical equipment, and rulemaking on
the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce and use of
low concentrations of PCBs (PCBs in concentrations below 50 parts
per million (ppm)).
On. August 25, 1982, a final rule amendment covering the use
of PCBs in electrical equipment was issued. The major provisions
of the rule allow the continued use of electrical equipment
containing PCBs according to certain use and servicing
restrictions. The use of transformers and electromagnets
containing at least 500 ppm PCBs, requires inspection and
maintenance for leaks of dielectric fluid. However, these uses
are prohibited after October 1, 1985 wherever the equipment also
poses an exposure risk to food or feed. The use of capacitors
containing three or more pounds of PCB dielectric fluid is
prohibited after October 1, 1988, except when located in
restricted access electrical substations or restricted access
indoor installations, where they may be kept in service for the
remainder of their useful lives.
Although PCBs are no longer being manufactured for use as a
dielectric fluid, certain chemical manufacturing processes result
in the inadvertent production of PCBs as impurities or
byproducts. Another final rule amendment to the May 1979
regulations, released on October 21, 1982, covers those
situations where PCBs are produced inadvertently but either are
not released (closed processes), or are released only to wastes
which are then properly disposed of (controlled waste
processes). The rule sets up a voluntary exclusion for certain
types of extremely low exposure manufacturing processes. The
major provision of this rule provides an exclusion from further
regulation to those processes that do not release PCBs into the
air, water, or products in concentrations above levels that qan
be practically measured, as stated in the rule. Manufacturers
who qualify, and desire exclusion, must keep records and notify
EPA of their excluded processes.
One provision of the comprehensive 1979 PCB rule was an
authorization permitting the use of PCBs in railroad transformers
until January It *982. ' January 3, 1983, the May 1979 rule was
amended h" to*A to extend the use authorization with certain
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What's the Govern-
ment Doing About the
PCB Health Hazard?
Until 1976, EPA could only regulate discharges of PCB's into
waterways from plants that manufactured, processed, or used the
PCB's. In 1976, 1n response to growing evidence of the dangers
of PCB's and other toxic materials. Congress enacted the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) and directed EPA to regulate all
chemicals that present "an unreasonable risk of injury to health
or the environment."
c-
For the first time, that law gave the government the authority
to require that potentially toxic chemical substances be tested
for safety before they are manufactured and put on the market.
Under TSCA, the public and the environment can no longer be
used as unwitting guinea pigs for potentially lethal chemical
compounds. If testing shows that a chemical does indeed pose an
unreasonable risk to health or the environment, EPA can limit the
handling, use, or shipment of a chemical and, if
necessary, can ban the manufacture, processing, and use o'f the
chemical. Because of the known dangers of PCB's, TSCA contains
a special section prohibiting the manufacture, processing, dis-
tribution and use of PCB's, except totally enclosed use, and
requiring adequate labeling and safe disposal «f PCB's still
1n use.
EPA has taken the following actions to carry out its congress-
ional mandate to protect the public from PCB's: On Feb. 17, 1978,
EPA Issued regulations establishing requirements for marking and
disposal of PCB's. On May 31, 1979, EPA issued regulations pro-
hibiting the manufacture of PCB's after July 1, 1979, unless
specifically exempted by EPA; prohibiting the processing, dis-
tribution and use of PCB's except in sealed systems, after
July 1, 1979; and prohibiting all processing and distribution
of PCB's after July 1, 1979, unless specifically exempted by EPA.
EPA's May 31. 1979 regulations required that PCB's may now
be used only in products such as totally enclosed electrical
equipment. In normal use in those products, there is no human or
environmental exposure to PCB's. -----
TSCA allows some exceptions to the regulation if there is
no unreasonable risk of danger to health or the environment. EPA
has allowed a few additional uses of PCB's until July 1, 1984,
with appropriate health and environmental safeguards.
Region 8
Arkinsts. Louisitn*. H»w
Mtxico. OUfhamf. Ttxn
EPA
Mr. John Wott
PCS Coordinator
First International Building
1201 Elm Street
Dallas. TX 75270
(214)767-2734
/ rOA
Mr. PB. Whrti
Regional Director
\^y 3032 Bryan StrMt
Dallas. TX 75204
(214) 749-2735
Region?
low*, Ktnttm. Missouri.
Ntbntkt,
EPA
Mr. Wolfatng Bnmtntr
Toxic Substances Coordinator
324 East 11 Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816)374-6538
FDA
Mr, Cliffords. Shint
109 Cherry Street
Kansas City. MO 64106
(816)374-5646
Region 8
Cotortdo. Montant. North
Dttot*. South Dttotm. Utuh.
EPA
Mr. Dftn Gillum
Toxic Substances Coordinator
1860 Lincoln Street
Denver. CO 80295
(303) 837-3926
FDA
Mr. F.L LofffoU
Regional Director
721 19th Street
US Customhouse Room 500
Denver. CO 80202
(303)837-4915
Regions
Arizon*. Ciliforrut. Htwtii.
Ntvtdt. Amtrictn Stmot,
Gutm. Trust Ttmtorios of tho
Ptcitic. Wt*t Islfnd
EPA
Mr GortU Gtvin
PCB Coordinator
215 Fremont Street
San Francisco. CA 94105
(415)556-4606
FDA
Mr. I.B. Birch
Regional Director
UN Plaza
Federal Office Building
Room 526
San Francisco. CA 94102
(415)556-2062
Region 10
Altsk*. Itifho. Oregon.
Washington
EPA
Or. Jim cVertt
Toxic Substances Coordinator
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle. WA 98101
(206) 442-5560
FDA
Mr. J.W. Swfnson
Regional Director
909 1st Avenue
Room 5003
Seattle. WA98174
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Want More Infor-
mation?
Most of the PCB's still in use are in sealed electrical
equipment which will be replaced over the next few years as the
equipment is overhauled or retired. EPA has established strict
regulations for the final disposal of PCB's in environmentally-
safe incinerators or chemical waste landfills.
Other government agencies are also involved in regulating
PCB's: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued re-
gulations establishing limits on the amount of PCB's allowed in
foods and feeds; products exceeding the safe limits may not be sold
in interstate commerce. FDA has also prohibited the use of PCB's
in food and feed processing plants except in sealed transformers
and capacitors. And FDA, EPA and the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture are considering banning the use of all PCB's in any and
all electrical equipment in food and feed-related industries.
In sum, the use of PCB's is now prohibited or strictly
regulated.
Additional information on EPA's regulation of PCB's is available
from EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. .
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