Air Standards and Regulations in the Workplace **

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) is a time-weighted average (TWA) airborne concentration of 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) for PCBs containing 42% chlorine (average molecular formula of C12H7Cl3).

OSHA’s PEL is 1,000 μg/m3 for PCBs containing 42% chlorine and 500 μg/m3 for compounds containing 54% chlorine.

The PEL for PCBs with 54% chlorine and an average molecular formula of C12H5Cl5 is 500 μg/m3. Both standards encompass all physical forms of these compounds: aerosols, vapor, mist, sprays, and PCB-laden dust particles.

OSHA recognizes that PCBs are absorbed through intact skin; therefore, both dermal and inhalation exposure routes should be evaluated by an industrial hygienist.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends a 10-hour TWA of 1 μg/m3 based on the minimum reliable detectable concentration and the potential carcinogenicity of PCBs. NIOSH also recommends that all workplace exposures be reduced to the lowest feasible level.

NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods for PCBs

OSHA Air Contaminants- Guide and Bibliography

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GUIDELINE FOR CHLORODIPHENYL (54% CHLORINE

NYCOSH: Playing Industrial Hygiene to Win by Eileen Senn

** Guide to the 1998 PCB "Mega Rule"
Prepared by:
John P. Woodyard, P.E.
Roy F. Weston, Inc.
Three Hawthorn Parkway
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
(847) 918-4008
woodyj@mail.rfweston.com

Hazard and Control byWestern Region Universities Consortium

NIOSH HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION REPORT

Lakeland School District PCB Containing Caulk Abatement Plan

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Dr. Daniel Lefkowitz 2057 | ph: 914-245-8671| Email: info@pcbinschools.org

(c) 2005