Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 85-414-1805, New Mexico State Highway Department - General Office Building, Santa Fe, New Mexico

摘要

Work associated with the decontamination, certification and reoccupancy of the Annex Building and the General Office Building of the New Mexico State Highway Department was reported. These efforts were undertaken following an electrical malfunction in a transformer which caused the askarel cooling fluid in the transformer to vaporize, venting polychlorinated-biphenyls (1336363) (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated-dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) from the pressure relief device on the transformer. Convective air currents and mechanical transfer through the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems carried the contaminants throughout the building. The maximum air concentration levels detected following the decontamination of the buildings were 0.18 micrograms/cubic meter for PCB in air and 1.5 picograms/cubic meter for PCDF/PCDD in air. Surface samples were 34 micrograms/square meter and 0.42 nanograms/square meter, respectively. These were below the guideline levels. The authors conclude that the buildings are acceptable for occupancy and the contents are safe for use. The authors recommend that the buildings should be retested approximately 12 months after reoccupancy to determine that conditions have not changed.