Dispersion of PCB in the environment following an atmospheric release caused by a fire.
During a fire at a power plant located in the coastal plain of Israel, PCBs were released to the atmosphere from a ruptured transformer. Since PCBs are probably carcinogenic to humans, this study was performed in order to assess the environmental contamination by PCBs via the atmospheric pathway and the need for remediation measures. The release conditions and the meteorological conditions which prevailed during the fire were analyzed. This provided the input to a Gaussian dispersion model used to estimate the downwind-contaminated sector as well as the location of the maximal concentration within this sector. A sampling plan was then devised and vegetation collected within this sector was analyzed for PCBs. A methodology was developed to convert PCB concentrations in vegetation to concentrations in the atmosphere. It allowed a reconstitution of the PCB source term to the atmosphere from the vegetation measurements. The PCB concentrations were found to be lower than the USEPA decontamination standards. Remediation measures were not needed beyond the plant fence.
Dayan
Uri
U
Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. msudayan@mscc.huji.ac.il
Koch
Jean
J
D000392:Air Movements; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005390:Fires; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011210:Power Plants
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls