General
Chemical residues in building material that had been installed for years in the past threaten the health of their users. Our company. Senft GmbH, has specialized, inter alia, in the disposal of hazardous substances in buildings such as asbestos, artificial mineral fibres, PCB, PAH etc.
We possess the necessary certification and experience. For any queries, please do not hesitate to call us. We will gladly offer you advice.
PCB and PAH
The term PBC comprises a group of 209 synthetically produced chemicals the full name of which is polychlorinated biphenyls.
The PCBs are chemically classified in the group of aromatic hydrocarbons.
Base material of the PCBs is the biphenyl which can bind up to ten
chlorine atoms. Thus up to 209 variants of PCB emerge which we also
refer to as PCB congeners.
PCB is produced by chlorinating biphenyl wherein the PCB thickness depends on the degree of chlorination.
PCB was used to insulate condensers and transformers, in hydraulic oil but also in lacquers, resins, plastic materials, printer's inks, adhesives and permanently elastic joint sealants. Even objects which are not contaminated with PCB are able to absorb PCB over time and thus contaminate the ambient air.
In the event that a limit value of air contamination should be
measured which is harmful to human health a removal becomes
indispensable most of the time.
PCB is a substance which has been applied in many cases and has been a latent hazard for humans up to the present day.
Health problems caused by PCB:
In most cases the symptoms only appear with the chronic absorption of PCBs from the air or from contaminated food.
Disposal of PCB contaminated material
There are diffferent methods of PCB removal. The first method
describes the removal of primary sources. These are products to which
PCB was added in order to improve their elasticity or flame protection
features. Among these are, above all, joint sealants. They often have a
very high PCB content varying between 1,000 mg/kg and 300,000 mg/kg. The
second method used during a PCB removal consists in spatial separation.
The third consists in coating the secondarily contaminated surface. In
most cases secondary sources are objects or components which were
exposed to PCB pollution for a long time. e. g. carpets, furniture and
linoleum floors. These often absorb PCB from the indoor air and give it
off to the environment again. This results in lower or higher pollution
levels depending on the material.
We also dispose of, e. g.:
When removing the PCB-contaminated material with a content of >
50 mg/kg this material is subject to the list of wastes laid down in
the European Regulations and the LAGA Notices and thus must be disposed
of professionally by specialist skilled workers like the Senft staff
according to their degree of danger.
Further aromatic hydrocarbons
Besides PCB there are 209 further types of aromatic hydrocarbons.
Among these PCP and PAK are particulary important.
Both are similar to the above described product in numerous ways.
The risks that are associated with these substances are comparable to those of PCB.
Should the above mentioned damage to health have occurred to you or your fellow residents or should you wish to refurbish your flat or your house, the Senft company will be glad to offer you advice.
Accreditation
The requirements related to the removal and disposal of
contaminated material can only be met by trained specialists like those
employed by Senft GmbH.
The respective works have to be registered with the authorities acc. to BR 128 (BGR 128, Annex 6B –
Building Toxins) and may only be carried out by trained experts.
