Conference 7.286::digital

    
    Dave,
    
    Try VTX EHS, Option 10 and enter say BIPHENYL in the search field,
    there's some info in there - don't know whether it will help though ...
    
    
    
    Graham Warnes
    Project '95 Group
    Winnersh, UK

    Hi,
    
    	What you need is a Material Saftey Data Sheet (MSDS).  I found this
    in VTX ATOZ Listing...under number 5 select 13 then 11 MSDS.  All the
    contacts are listed there.
    
    Bill

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls (sp?) (PCBs) and their cousins, Poly-
  brominated biphenyls (PBBs) were a component of many of the oils
  (askarels) used in electrical components up until, oh, the 1970s
  or so. They were then discovered to be nasty.

  (I believe "Minimata Disease" in Japan was the situation that
  resulted when rice oil was accidentally contaminated with PCBs.)

  In general, you found PCBs in:

    o Large power transformers mounted in tanks (such as used
      by electric utilities)

    o ac capacitors (such as used in power distribution systems
      and constant-voltage transformers.

  PCBs were then phased out of production and, where possible, PCB-
  contaminated components were either purged of PCBs or replaced.

  While it's possible that *OLD* DEC equipment contained some of
  these ac capacitors (we did use CVTs and may have used ac capa-
  citors in some ancient power controllers), it's extremely unlikely
  that the LSI11 family of products contained aby PCB-bearing com-
  ponents. But to get an authoritative answer, you probably will
  need to contact someone in Corporate Safety (or whatever stub
  group has replaced them).

  The question *HAS* been asked before, and has been investigated,
  so someone knew the answer at some point in the past.

                                   Atlant

    
    
    	Thanks for the replies (and to all the people who mailed me).
    	It was only after someone mentioned "PCB's" in a mail that I
    	suddenly twigged what the customer wanted. The systems are to
    	scrapped in the near future, but due to the sensitive nature 
    	of the site, no components are allowed to leave, all destruction 
    	is carried out by the customer. 
    
    	Dave Wrighton		833-3791

>  (I believe "Minimata Disease" in Japan was the situation that
>  resulted when rice oil was accidentally contaminated with PCBs.)

Minimata disease was from mercury contamination of fish.
The effects on people eating the fish include brain and general nerve
damage and consequent muscle atrophy and crippling.  General heavy metal stuff.

PCBs are a concern for their believed carcinogenic properties.

- tom]

    PCB are also toxic because when they burn in bad condition they produce
    large amount of Dioxine which is toxic. Remember SEVESO in Italy... 
    
    	Yann

    
    PCB = Printed Circuit Board  (Another TLA def.)
    

Tom:

> Minimata disease was from mercury contamination of fish.

  You're correct about "Minimata Disease". However, Altavista,
  our all-knowing oracle, reveals that I was thinking of the
  "Yusho Rice Poisoning Incident". There's also another separate
  incident that occurred in Yu-Cheng, Taiwan in 1979.

  The children who were affected in the Taiwanese incident have
  been extensively studied and the results are likely to be
  quite unsettling for males.

                                   Atlant

The following can be provided to customers or anyone else who is interested.

-------------
               The use of PCBs in Digital Products
                                
Bob Johnson                                Product Safety Domain
                     MRO2-3/9E, DTN 297-4898

Digital stopped purchase of PCB containing materials in Dec. 77.
By Nov. 78 all remaining stock. had been flushed from company
inventory and disposed.  The only PCB containing items we have
ever used are nine capacitor types:
        10-10057         10-09397-00      10-02038
        10-10604         10-09397-01      10-05767
        10-09122         10-09397-02      10-00034

These appear in the following products:
710           722           722-A         730           743-A
749           769           770           770-A         789-A
832           832-B         832-C         832-D         832-E
832-F         832-K         854           854-C         861-A
861-B         861-C         861-D         861-E         863-A
863-B         863-D         863-E         861-F         866-B
866-C         866-D         866-E         ADC1          ADC1-A
AF01-A        AF01-B        DF32-DN       DF32-DP       DFMA
H735          H735-A        H755          LA36-EA       LA36-EB
LA36-FA       LA36-FB       LA36-TD       PC01          PC03
PCO4-CL       PC04-CM       PO9           PC10          PC12
PC05-C        F'CO5-P       PC8-I         PC8-L         PCR11
PP12          PP8-E         PP8-I         PP8-L         RK05
RK05-AA       RK05-AB       RK05-BA       RK05-BB       RK05F-B
RK05F-AC      RK05F-AD      RK05F-BA      RK05J-BA      RS03-AA
RS03-AB       RS03-AC       RS03-AD       RS04-AA       RS04-AB
RSO4-AC       RS04-AD       RS08          RS08-P        RS09
RSO9-P        RS11          RS11-P        RS64-A        RS64-D
RS64-P        TU55          TU55-A        VT05          VT05-A
VT05-B        VT05B         VT-20-BA      VT20-BB       VT20-BC
VT20-BD       VT20-BH       VT-20-BK      VT20-CA       VT20-CB
VT20-CC       VT20-CD       VT-20-MA      VT20-MB       VT8-EA
VT8-EB        VT8-EC        VT8-ED        
                            

Not all of the above capacitors had PCB's in them. If detailed
information of vendor markings to determine this is needed,
contact me.  Similar capacitors which were used at the time and
DID NOT contain PCBs are 10-13102, 10-11729-00 and -01, 10-14021-
00 thru -06, and 10-14022-00 thru -09.

These capacitors are what the US Government considers small
capacitors.  We have not used large capacitors (over 3 lbs.) or
transformers containing PCBs in our equipment. For small
capacitors the disposal rules are as follows:

  US Environmental Protection Agency
  40 CFR Part 761 subpart B - Disposal of PCB's  (2) PCB
     Capacitors
  ( i )  The disposal of any capacitor normally used in
     alternating current circuits shall comply with all
     requirements of this subpart unless it is known from, label
     information, manufacturers literature or chemical analysis
     that the capacitor does riot contain PCB chemical substances
     or PCB mixtures.
  (ii)   Any person may dispose of small PCB capacitors as
     municipal solid waste, unless that person is subject to the
     requirements of subparagraph (iv).
  (iv)   Any small PCB capacitor owned by any person who
     manufactures or at any time manufactured PCB capacitors or
     PCB equipment and acquired the PCB capacitors in the course
     of such manufacturing shall be disposed of ... in an
     incinerator which complies with Annex  I.