[Milsurplus] Transformers...

[Jim Klotz]

Richard and all,

Isn't quite my experience.  I worked for a large metropolitan eclectic 
utility on the west coast 1969-1999.  We had all sorts of transformers from 
small voltage measuring jobs to the big-as-a-house power transformers in the 
substation yards.  Most of the larger ones had PCB fluid in them, especially 
in earlier years.  I (half) recall the brand name being Pyranol (or some 
such) indicating, as you say, that it didn't support combustion.  When the 
anti-PCB regulations came in, we had to build catch basins and change out 
the coolant, flushing until an acceptable PCB PPM level was reached.

The smaller "bugs" (like distribution transformers that hang on poles) had 
mineral oil in them all right, but many (especially older ones) had PCB 
contamination above the allowed level.  We went through an extensive 
sampling and oil replacement program in order to comply with the 
regulations.

So there's PCB, and PCB contaminated.  The latter can be a very low 
percentage PCB.

I think the danger from the stuff is fairly low for small personal exposure 
(just wash quickly and thoroughly), but is more of a problem when it gets 
into the environment, especially aquatic areas.  Seems the stuff is taken up 
by small life, which is eaten in turn, by larger and larger fish, until 
dangerous levels concentrate in food and other larger fish.  A problem in 
areas of Puget Sound and elsewhere, I'm sure.

I was around that stuff for many years.  Also recall something from 1970 or 
so when we cleaned high voltage rectifiers (mercury arc units) every 
Saturday with barehanded with rags and a solvent my boss called "the safe 
version of carbon tet."  We all know carbon tetrachloride's poisonous 
nature.  The stuff turns out to have been 1,1,1-trichloroethane 
(http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/TR/1,1,1-trichloroethane.html  Of course the 
mercury arc units are also long gone.

Didn't bother me... <click> bother me... <click> bother me...<click> bother 
me...<click> bother me...
  ;-)

Seriously though, who knows whether or not these sorts of exposures and 30 
years in substation magnetic fields contributed to my health problems.

- Jim Klotz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brunner" <rbrunner at gis.net>
To: <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 6:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Transformers...


> This PCB in transformers scare is vastly overdone.  Askarel (PCB in 
> transformers) has only one advantage over oil; it will not support 
> combustion.

SNIP

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