What is PCB?

PCB is an abbreviation for Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls, and PCB is one of the world's most dangerous environmental pollutants.

PCB is a carcinogenic substance that you cannot smell or taste, which makes it particularly dangerous because you may not be aware of exposure to dangerous PCB.

It is difficult to determine if a building contains materials with PCB unless professionals conduct air sampling to measure the content. At the same time, any joints and surfaces need to be inspected and analyzed as well.

What are PCBs used for?

PCB is a contaminating material that emits harmful particles into the indoor environment and surrounding materials. Therefore, it can become a very extensive task to clean a building for PCB joints.

However, PCB in buildings must be addressed as it is dangerous to health. The good news is that there are several ways to get rid of the dangerous PCB.
TWO teknik can provide several solutions that make it much easier and cheaper to reduce the emission of PCB in buildings.

With a solution from TWO teknik, PCB-containing surfaces can be sealed so that the off-gassing from the PCB-containing surfaces is stopped. Shortly after, a positive improvement of the indoor climate begins. The sealing is done with a high-tech emission barrier, SPS Primary and SPS Primary Winter.

PCB was used in the construction industry and building renovation between 1950 and 1976 and is most commonly found in sealant, adhesive or paint.

What is PCB - facts:

The electronics industry began using PCBs in the 1950s. PCBs were mostly used in cooling oils and capacitors.
PCB was particularly used in the construction industry in the 1960s.
PCB was banned in Denmark in 1976. However, internationally, the consumption of PCB is regulated by the Stockholm Convention – adopted in 2001.
It takes a long time to break down PCB. Several decades, and therefore contamination can be traced throughout the globe. The highest concentrations of PCB are found in adipose tissue in, for example, mammals and polar bears.
PCB is mainly used in paint, sealants, and adhesives. PCB is commonly found in sealants around windows from the 1960s and 1970s.
PCB-containing joints are still a massive problem, as PCBs contaminate the surrounding material and end up in dust and in the indoor environment. If there is concrete around PCB-containing joints, the concrete will contain very high concentrations of PCBs. This also applies to floors and other coatings with lacquered or plastic surfaces.
PCB is carcinogenic and can disrupt the body’s hormones. PCB also affects the immune system, liver, and central nervous system.
PCB affects brain development, reproductive abilities, and the immune system. Children are particularly vulnerable as they absorb PCB into their bodies more easily than adults.

Do you need help?

Do you need guidance regarding PCBs and PCB sealing?

Then contact a specialist from TWO Teknik.

We are ready to assist you.

Phone

+45 72 30 20 31

Mail

info@twoteknik.dk

What to do about PCBs in your building

You should make sure to have the indoor air quality in your building measured. If you have values of 3,000 ng/m3 or higher, you need to take action immediately. This is truly harmful to health and you should reduce the values immediately. The National Board of Health in Denmark recommends that you do not exceed 300 ng/m3.

If you measure between 300-3000 ng/m3, you should take action in the long run to bring the value down to below 300 ng/m3 air, which is the recommended limit.

What does PCB in building materials mean

PCB in building materials is a very significant health issue, and the use of PCB in Danish construction has been much greater than initially estimated. This is due in part to the significant increase in construction activity during the period from 1950-1976. At the same time that many buildings were constructed with PCB-containing materials during this period, a large renovation effort also began.

That’s good news indeed! There are several methods and measures available that make it cheaper and less cumbersome to reduce PCB emissions in buildings.

SPS Primær and SPS Primær Vinter are high-tech emissions barriers that are commonly used to seal and encapsulate PCB in buildings, which is the most effective and well-documented way to reduce the emission of PCB. As a new and unique feature, the effectiveness of SPS Primær can now be measured using the tracer substance SPS Seal Trace.