Managing PCB spills

To assist utilities in their efforts to deal with PCBs, three Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) divisions are sponsoring a wide range of projects. Studies sponsored by the Environmental Control Systems (ECS) Department have addressed PCB spill assessment and remediation. Early work resulted in development of a commercially available portable analyzer capable of identifying the type and concentration of PCBs at a spill site. More recently, efforts have focused on investigating PCB migration in soils to help utilities determine appropriate spill response times, and on investigating and evaluating cleanup technologies for PCB spills on soils and porous surfaces (e. g. , asphalt, concrete, and brick). This article discusses such cleanup technologies as in-situ vitrification, soil washing, and mechanical removal.