US EPA

201499 

Journal Article 

The Binghamton State Office Building PCB transformer incident: 1981-1987 

Schecter, A 

1987 

Yes 

Chemosphere
ISSN: 0045-6535
EISSN: 1879-1298 

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 

OXFORD 

NIOSH/00175511 

16 

8-9 

2155-2160 

10.1016/0045-6535(87)90224-4 

WOS:A1987L242500089 

The Binghamton State Office Building transformer fire of Feb. 5, 1981 was the first recognized incident of its type. An electrical transformer was involved in a fire which began in a nearby electrical panel. PCBs (65%) and polychlorinated benzenes (35%) constituted the transformer fluid. PCBs and chemicals formed during the fire, including chlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs), biphenylenes and napthalenes, spread throughout the building contaminating all floors of the then nine year old 18 story building. Cleanup is still underway. Reoccupancy is currently scheduled for 1988. Between 40 and 50 million dollars have been expended or appropriated for rehabilitation of the building which cost 17 million dollars to construct. Human studies indicate the PCDD/Fs and PCBs have been ingested by some emergency and cleanup workers. Persistent elevated PCDD/F tissue levels have been found in some workers. Animal studies indicate the chemicals still retain biological potency (despite the soot matrix) sufficient to not markedly change LD 50 or ED 50 values of the PCDF/Ds in the soot.