Region 2
Serving New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Eight Tribal Nations.
EPA Inspection for PCB-containing lighting ballasts PS 306 in Brooklyn, New York
Twenty-five of Thirty-one Samples Above Regulatory Limit
Several Samples from One Room at or Near 100% PCBs
On Saturday, February 19, 2011, EPA conducted an inspection at PS 306 to look at lighting ballasts that may contain PCBs and determine if they have leaked in the past or are currently leaking. See below for a chart containing the results of samples taken during this inspection.
If a lighting ballast is leaking PCBs above a regulatory level of 50 parts per million, it is considered an exceedance and federal law requires the immediate removal and disposal of the ballast and disposal of any PCB-contaminated materials at an EPA-approved facility.
A total of thirty-one samples were taken from ten classrooms. Twenty-five samples taken showed results above the regulatory limit. All ten classrooms had at least one sample that showed results above the regulatory limit.
These recommendations are consistent with EPA’s national guidance recommending that schools take steps to reduce potential exposures to PCBs from older fluorescent lighting fixtures.
PS 306 Brooklyn
February 19, 2011 Sampling Results
Location | Fixture No. | Sample location | Sample Results mg/kg (PPM) | PCB Aroclor | Old/New Ballast | Ballast leaking | Description of Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Room 108 |
2 |
Tray |
1,300 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Brown Waxy Oil |
Room 109 |
2 |
Ballast |
4,300 |
1260 |
Old |
Yes |
Oily Wires/Hard Tar Bubble on Ballast |
Room 107 |
1 |
Ballast |
1,200,000*** |
1242 |
Old |
Yes |
Active Leak |
Room 107 |
1 |
Tray |
1,100,000*** |
1242 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Pool |
Room 107 |
1 |
Diffuser |
950,000 |
1248 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Stains |
Room 107 |
N/A |
Desk |
X** |
N/A |
N/A |
Yellow Stains |
|
Room 102 |
1 |
Ballast |
500 |
1242 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Seep From Seam/Oily Wires |
Room 102 |
1 |
Diffuser |
480 |
1242 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Smear |
Room 204 |
N/A |
Chair |
X** |
N/A |
N/A |
Brown Oily Stain |
|
Room 204 |
N/A |
Chair |
X** |
N/A |
N/A |
Brown Oily Stain |
|
Room 204 |
N/A |
Chair |
X** |
N/A |
N/A |
Brown Oily Stain |
|
Room 204 |
1 |
Tray |
48,000 |
1242 |
New |
No |
Five Tar Globules |
Room 204 |
1 |
Diffuser |
55,000 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Oil Stain |
Room 240 |
1 |
Ballast |
3,900 |
1260 |
Old |
Yes |
Oily Wires/Oily Residue on Ballast |
Room 240 |
1 |
Diffuser |
21,000 |
1268 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Stain |
Room 240 |
2 |
Diffuser |
18,000 |
1268 |
New |
No |
Oil Stain |
Room 240 |
N/A |
Chair |
X** |
N/A |
N/A |
Oil Splatter Stain |
|
Room |
1 |
Wires |
260,000 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Oily Wires |
Room |
1 |
Tray |
320,000 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Dried Oil |
Room |
1 |
Diffuser |
600,000 |
1268 |
New |
No |
Oil Stain |
Room |
2 |
Ballast |
U* |
Old |
Yes |
Oily Residue |
|
Room |
2 |
Diffuser |
4,700 |
1260 |
Old |
Yes |
Oil Stain |
Room |
1 |
Ballast |
2,200 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Dried Tar |
Room |
1 |
Tray |
200,000 |
1248 |
New |
No |
Oily Globules |
Room |
1 |
Diffuser |
33,000 |
1268 |
New |
No |
Oil Stain |
U* = Non detect
X**= Several pieces of furniture with stains were observed in classrooms with lighting fixtures that had visible stains on the outside. EPA collected wipe samples from the surface of the furniture. Due to the small sample size, the EPA laboratory was unable to obtain conclusive results at the 50 ppm regulatory limit.
*** = Due to the way that samples are analyzed, it is possible to come up with a level that shows a result above 100%. This is within the expected analytical variance of this procedure. Therefore we consider the sample to be pure 100% PCBs.