A Case Study of an Underground PCB Spill: Fate of the Subsurface PCB Spill Residues and Its Imapct on Humans and the Environment

A transformer located in a subsurface vault within the central business district of a city released PCB fluid which entered the ground through a french drain system in the vault floor. The present study was undertaken to examine if the subsurface PCB residues posed a risk to humans and the environment. Extensive data, gathered through field investigation and literature review on behavior of PCB in soils and water, were analyzed to determine the fate of the PCB residues and its potential impact on the environment. It was concluded that the subsurface PCB-contaminated soils could cause only a minor and highly localized contamination of the groundwater for a limited time period and did not pose a risk to humans or the environment.