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Date: Wed, 9 Jul 97 09:19 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: PCB (Karola Krauter)
July 9, 1997
Dear Karola Krauter,
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in a lot of electrical equipment manufactured in the United States prior to 1979 when its use was banned. Typically capacitors and transformers and lubricating oils in all electrical equipment contained PCBs. Does the cables that you are referring to have PCBs? Not if they were manufactured in the US (or in most western European countries) after, say, 1980. However, the best way to be certain is to test for their presence. The United Nations Environmental Programme has a document that can help you to identify what countries approved what uses of PCBs and banned what uses of PCBs between 1973 and 1982. It is:
Consolidated list of products whose consumption and/or sale have been banned, withdrawn, severely restricted or not approved by governments , 2nd issue. Document # ST/ESA/192.
The literature that I ve just reviewed suggests that most cables - except hydraulic cables - did not contain PCBs.
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