NEW YORK STATE

NYC Public School Air and Wipe Sampling Report 4/5/08

Was the air sampling sensitive enough?

"a measurement method that can only go down to 560 ng/m3 raises the possibility that you would miss levels that are above the action level of 500" Dr. Bob Herrick

"The significance of this would be that the levels found at the buildings at U Rhode Island and U Mass, both of which were highly contaminated and had full EPA approved remediations done, would have mostly been measured as nondetectable using the method that as apparently used in the NY schools." Dr. Bob Herrick

Certainly any laboratory that cannot detect 10 ng/m3 might just as well not do the measurement, because the results are meaningless. Dr David Carpenter

Please read the following from Dr. Bob Herrick from Harvard and Dr. David Carpenter from the State University of Albany regarding the NYC public schools PCB air sampling

One thing I would point out is that the limit of detection for the air samples is not very sensitive. These measurements could go as low as about 500 ng/m3. The studies done at places like univ of rhode island and massachusetts could measure levels down to about 50 ng/m3. The difference is probably in the length of time the air sample was taken. The longer the sample time, the greater of volume of air sampled, and the lower the detectable amount of PCB measured.

The significance of this would be that the levels found at the buildings at U Rhode Island and U Mass, both of which were highly contaminated and had full EPA approved remediations done, would have mostly been measured as nondetectable using the method that as apparently used in the NY schools. The NIOSH recommeded exposure level is 1000 ng/m3, and anything above half that (500 ng/m3) would be considered above the action level, meaning that further investigation is needed.

So a measurement method that can only go down to 560 ng/m3 raises the possibility that you would miss levels that are above the action level of 500. Dr. Bob Herrick 4/6/2008

Dr. Bob Herrick
Harvard School of Public Health
Phone: 617- 384-8803
Fax: 617-384-8859
Email: herrick@hohp.harvard.edu

The levels of PCBs in normal outdoor air is 1 ng/cubic meter of air. Any laboratory that cannot determine 1 ng/m3 is not worth much, since even relatively small elevations are going to be associated with inhalation exposure. Certainly any laboratory that cannot detect 10 ng/m3 might just as well not do the measurement, because the results are meaningless. When a person breathes in air, the PCBs will primarily dissolve in the fat of the cells of the lung, so a person will be exposed to whatever level is in the air. David Carpenter MD 4/7/2008

David Carpenter MD
Institute for Health & the Environment
University at Albany, SUNY
5 University Place, A217
Rensselaer NY 12144
Tel: (518) 525-2660
Fax: (518) 525-2665
Email: Carpent@uamail.albany.edu

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NYC Schools' Soil Sampling

Click here for results

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Caulk Sampling Results

Bronx, New York

Intermediate School 181 (Pablo Casals), Bronx NY ... 6180 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Intermediate School 131, Bronx, NY ... 5660 ppm of Aroclor 1248 and 12,300 of Aroclor 1260

Public School 160, Bronx, NY ... 102 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 86.8 ppm of Aroclor 1260

Public School 178 (Selman Waksman School) , Bronx, NY ... 111,000 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Garage 1 in Co-Op City in the Bronx, NY.... 65,800 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Building 2 in Co-Op City in the Bronx, NY ... 97,600 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Building 5B in Co-Op City in the Bronx, NY... 52,600 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Building 1A in Co-Op City in the Bronx, NY ... 38,200 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Building 5C in Co-Op Cty in the Bronx, NY ... 81,200 ppm of Aroclor 1254

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Manhattan

Public School 30 ... 5300 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Public School 199 ... 225,000 ppm of Aroclor 1254

140 Park Place, New York, NY (Verizon Building) ... 107 ppm of Aroclor 1260

Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY ... 16, 300 ppm of Aroclor 1254

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Queens

Public School 86 ... 357 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 161 ppm of 1260

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Westchester & Putnam Counties

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Lakeland NY... 19,500 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Lakeland NY... 14, 800 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Lakeland, NY ... 3.42 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Lakeland NY ... 108,000 ppm, 140,000 ppm and 115,000 ppm of Aroclor 1254

****(Lakeland School District PCB Containing Caulk Abatement Plan)****

Putnam Valley Middle School, Putman NY ... 10,000 ppm of Aroclor 1260

Putnam Valley Middle School Putnam, NY ... 3.31 ppm of Arolcor 1254

New York State School Caulk ... 14,800 ppm of Aroclor 1260

French Hill School Caulk in Yorktown Heights, NY 20,000 ppm Aroclor 1254 and 18,000 ppm of Aroclor 1260 (Windows were recaulked)

French Hill School Window Caulking: 173,600 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 104,000 ppm of Aroclor 1260

French Hill School Soil Sample 160 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 120 ppm of Aroclor 1260

French Hill School Window Caulking: 64,100 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 56,700 ppm of Aroclor 1260.

French Hill Column Masonry Caulking: 60,000 mg/kg (equivalent to 6.0 PCBs) 38,000 ppm Aroclor 1254 and 22,000 ppm Aroclor 1260 (See French Hill Final Report Page 2)

French Hill Column Masonry Caulking Wipe Sample: 22,700 ug/100cm2
(See French Hill Final Report Page 2)

French Hill Window Pane Room 23 Exterior Wipe Sample: 10.9 ug/100cm2
(See French Hill Final Report Page 2)

French Hill Room 6 Window Sill Exterior Wipe Sample: 34 ug/100cm2
(See French Hill Final Report Page 2)

French Hill Soil Report by Westchester County Health Department

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Staten Island

Public School 53 (Bay Terrace School) 225.4 ug/filter PCBs
Public School 53 (Bay Terrace School) 994 ug/filter PCBs

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Rockland County

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Report (Click on link to see report)

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 109,000 ppm of 1260 and 81,100 ppm of 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 256 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 1280 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 689 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and
579 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 44,900 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 30,400 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 777 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 34,900 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and
30,100 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 77,100 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and
23,7000 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 96.8 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 75,600 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 132 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and
28,200 ppm of Aroclor 1254

East Ramapo Central School District Caulk Samples ... 45,200, ppm of Aroclor 1254

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Upstate New York

Oswego SUNY Soil Sample ... 45 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 41 ppm of Aroclor 1268

Oswego SUNY Caulk Sample ... 14,000 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 3,000 ppm Aroclor 1268

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Massachusetts

New England High School 5,970 ppm Aroclor 1254
(Caulking still in place)

Major University in New England. 26,400 ppm Aroclor 1254
(Caulking still in place)

Middle School in New England . 5,010 ppm Aroclor 1254
(Caulking still in place)

Catholic High School in England. 15,000 ppm Aroclor 1262
(Building was recaulked)

Office Building in Downtown Boston 35,600 ppm Aroclor 1260
(Building was recaulked)

UMass Amherst : Caulk, Air and Concrete

PCB Test Data Related to LGRC Facade Repairs and Waterproofing Project at UMass Amherst

Air Samples - LGRC
Panel Caulking and Concrete Core samples Tower A & Low-Rise
Bulk Samples from Dumpster Site
Exterior Panel Caulking Tower C
Exterior Panel Caulking Tower B
Wipe Samples -Tower A and Low-Rise
Air Samples- Low-Rise Library
Wipe Samples - Low-Rise Library
Dust Thimble Results -Low Rise Library

Gordon Hall in Boston, Massachusetts 337,256 ppm of 1254

Shattuck Street in Massacusetts 124,378 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Burlington High School in Massachusetts 106,611 ppm of Arolcor 1260

Police Station in Lowell, Massachusetts 607 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Lawrence Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. 290 ppm of Aroclor 1248 and 428 ppm of Aroclor 1254

Massachusetts School Soil ... 19 ppm of Aroclor 1254 and 15 ppm of Aroclor 1260

Student Housing at a Major University in New England . 36,200 ppm Aroclor 1254 (Caulking still in place)

Elementary School in New England. 7,740 ppm Aroclor 1254
(Caulking still in place)

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*To add to the database, please forward caulking and soil laboratory sample results to info@pcbinschools.org. The identity of sender and will remain anonymous. Lab Project # and Sample # will be cleared.