management of pcbs in building materials, paints and other ...e2s2.ndia.org/schedule/documents/2012...

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Management of PCBs in Building

Materials, Paints and Other Media

Tom Krug, Hester Groenevelt, Suzanne O’Hara (Geosyntec)

Nancy Ruiz (Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center) Jackie Quinn (NASA)

Cherie Geiger, Christian Clausen (University of Central Florida)

Environment, Energy Security

and Sustainability Conference New Orleans, 23-May-2012

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•Major Sources of PCBs

• Issue of PCBs in Building Materials

•Management Options

• Treatment Technology for PCBs

Outline

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• Prior to 1979, PCBs were used extensively in:

• Caulking material, industrial paints and coatings

• Electrical transformers and capacitors

• Hydraulic systems

PCBs in Paint, Caulk &

Other Building Materials

• PCBs enhanced

structural integrity

(plasticizer), reduced

flammability and boosted

antifungal properties

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• Electrical transformers and light ballasts

• Caulking outside buildings and in paved areas

• Caulking inside buildings

• Paint containing PCBs on buildings and structures

• Paint containing PCBs on equipment

• PCBs in material (concrete, brick) from contact with

caulk, paint or spills of PCBs

Sources of PCBs

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• Masonry buildings and concrete

structures constructed between

the 1940s and late 1970s

• Used in concrete expansion

joints (buildings & paved areas)

• Caulk may contain up to 20%

PCBs

• PCBs also migrate into

materials in contact (e.g.,

concrete & brick)

PCBs in Caulking

Material

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• Some industrial and other

paints used before the late

1970s contained high levels

of PCBs (up to 3% PCB)

• Found on industrial buildings

and equipment and schools

PCBs in Paints

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What are the issues?

• Impacts to storm water and/or soil

• Possible impacts to indoor air quality or other direct

contact human exposure

• Exposure or release during renovation or demolition

• High costs for disposal from renovation or demolition

• Regulatory issues with PCB use

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PCBs in Caulking in Expansion Joints

Garson, McCormack, Sugino and Molinari, 2004. Airport Flightline Expansion Joints – Unexpected Source of PCB Contamination. Fourth International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Monterey CA, May 2004.

1,000 acre aircraft manufacturing facility

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PCBs (up to 160,000 ppm) in expansion joint caulking material installed in 1968 identified as primary source of PCBs in storm water

Residual PCBs also contaminated caulking material installed after 1968 to replace older caulk as part of regular maintenance

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Caulking material removed from 40 miles of expansion joints between 2001 and 2003

Cutting tool to remove caulking and concrete

Cleaning with pressure washer

Vacuum capture of slurry and treatment

Inspection

Final cleaning


PCBs In Schools


Potential Exposures to

PCBs In Schools

• Indoor air (dust or vapor)

• Direct or hand to mouth contact (friable caulking, paint chips, dust)

• Key sources: light ballasts, caulking


Sampling for PCBs In

Schools

• Indoor air

• Surface wipe (desks, floor, walls, inside ducts and suspended ceilings)

• Caulk (interior, exterior door/window, exterior joints)

• Floor tile, paint, ceiling tile, light ballasts


Mitigation for PCBs In Schools

• Removal of dust from air ducts and surfaces

• Removal of light ballasts containing PCBs

• Removal of caulking or paint containing PCBs

• Sealing, removing or treating surfaces impacted by caulking or paints


PCBs at MIT Residence

Building

• PCB concentrations in building materials

• Caulking ~200,000 ppm

• Brick ~ 400 ppm

• Concrete ~ 2,300 ppm

VanSchalkwyk, W., Lessons Learned Remediating Buildings

Impacted with PCB Contaminated Materials, Environmental

Business Council New England Seminar, December 2010.


Mitigation Measures Taken at

MIT

• Caulking removal

• Removal of brick or stone

• Chemical washing


Current EPA Guidance

Caulking containing PCBs at levels > 50 ppm is not authorized for use

under PCB regulations and must be removed

Associated material (e.g., concrete) considered a “remediation waste” and

current regulations suggest it must be removed if contains PCBs at levels >

2 ppm


Proposed EPA Reinterpretation

Associated material (e.g.,

concrete) may be

considered a “bulk

product waste” ,

requiring a <50 ppm

PCB concentration


Reality Is: • Unclear what regulations require people to test for

PCBs unless renovations are being conducted or

there are other impacts

• Actions have been initiated because of:

• impacts to indoor air

• impacts to storm water from caulk in concrete

outside

• impacts to water in reservoirs

• demolition / renovation


Management Approaches for

Caulking and Paint in Buildings

• Physical removal of caulk or paint

• Scarification of concrete, removal of brick or stone

formerly in contact with PCB containing material

• Sealants to isolate PCB

• Treatment of paint without removal

• Treatment of associated concrete, brick and stone

with PCBs without removal


• Zero-valent metal (magnesium) (ZVMg) has strong reducing

capabilities and can destroy PCBs

Treatment Technology Innovation

• Solvent paste can extract PCBs from

surfaces

• Solvent paste with ZVMg can extract PCBs

and degrade PCBs in the paste

• AMTS – Activated Metal Treatment System

• Mg metal (ZVMg) in acidified ethanol

• Developed by NASA and UCF


Reactive Magnesium

Particles

Non-chlorinated

byproducts Solvent Paste

PCBs Material Containing

PCBs

Extraction and Treatment (on surface)

One Step Treatment Process


Reactive Magnesium

Particles

Non-chlorinated

byproducts

PCBs

Step 1 – Extraction (on surface)

Step 2 – PCB Treatment (separate container)

Two Step Treatment Process

Solvent Paste

PCBs Material Containing

PCBs


• US Department of Defense, Environmental Security

Technology Certification Program (ESTCP)

• ESTCP-funded project (SI-0610) to demonstrate the

efficacy of a Bimetallic Treatment System (BTS)

technology to extract and treat PCBs from building

materials (paint, caulk, concrete)

ESTCP BTS Demonstration Project

• Project Team: US Navy, NASA, UCF &

Geosyntec

• AMTS developed during this project


Field Demonstration 1

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Application of Paste

Hand Application

(non-active paste) Spray Application

(active paste)


Field Demonstration 2


56 samples were analyzed for PCBs including painted

concrete, wood and metal

PCB concentrations from paint samples taken from

structures range from 30 to 55,000 mg/kg

Painted Surfaces


Concentrations in paint after 1, 2 and 3 weeks exposure to BTS on concrete bunker

Removal of PCBs from

Paint on Concrete Bunkers


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

PC

B C

on

cen

trati

on

(m

g/k

g)

Weeks Exposure

PCB Concentration Paint Staging Area Presses

MgPd-VP #4

MgPd-VP #12

MgPd-VP #14

MgPd-VP #15

30

Removal of PCBs from

Painted Metal Equipment


• PCB concentrations in paint on the metals in building 6657-02 were ~10,000 to 53,000 mg/kg

• Post treatment concentration in paint 6,600 to 20,000 mg/kg

• BTS successful at extracting PCBs but need multiple applications of BTS to treat such high starting concentrations in multiple layers of paint

Nitrating Facility

Painted Metal Tanks


• Activated Mg added to paste after removed from painted structures

Destruction of PCBs in

Treatment Paste


• Demonstrated removal of PCBs from painted surfaces

• High concentrations may require multiple applications of paste

• Can successfully remove PCBs with non-active paste and treat later by adding acidified ZVMg

Conclusions from ESTCP Demonstration


Treatment of Concrete Building Material:

Apartment Building Case Study

Building site in Denmark

Application of AMTS to concrete impacted by caulking that contained ~100,000 mg/kg of PCBs

Depth discrete sampling on 1 cm intervals before and after treatment

Analysis of 7 PCB congeners

34


PCBs in Concrete

Before and After Treatment


• Demonstrated removal of PCBs from concrete impacted by caulking

• Simple process to implement

• No significant damage or alteration of concrete surface

• No risk of generating dust or exposures to PCBs during treatment

Conclusions from Denmark

Apartment Building Case Study


Further Work

Clarifying regulatory drivers to address PCB in existing buildings

Continue to refine optimal approaches for different surfaces and materials

Continued development of AMTS activated paste or emulsion for use in ex situ treatment of soils and sediment

Application of AMTS to other compounds (chlorinated pesticides)

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Questions?

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Additional Slides

39


Related Environmental Issues

Sampling indoor air for PCBs

Storm water management related to PCBs

Management / disposal of impacted material

Treatment of soil and sediments impacted by PCBs

40


Fourth International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Monterrey CA., May 2004.

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