PCBs Contaminantion of Transformer Oil and its Occupational Health and Safety Status in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Authors

  • Laxman K.C. College of Applied Sciences – Nepal, Tribhuvan University
  • Bhupendra Devkota College of Applied Sciences – Nepal, Tribhuvan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11727

Keywords:

Distribution Centres, Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Sub Stations, Transformers

Abstract

Electrification in Kathmandu valley had started in 1911 and the use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) probably started since 1940s (Devkota, 2005). This research work was undertaken to find out the degree and extent of PCBs contamination in transformer oil and to explore its impacts on occupational health and safety issues of the workers and on the environment. The research was focused on Distributions Centers of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in the Kathmandu valley, NEA Lainchaur workshop and welding workshops of the Kathmandu valley. The samples of transformer oil were collected, safely stored and analyzed using L2000DX Chloride Analyzer, PCBs contamination at >50 ppm level was found in 184 distribution transformers with total volume of PCBs contaminated transformer oil to be 67566.3 Kg. The knowledge on impacts of PCBs contaminated transformer oil on human health and environment was better among NEA employees than among employees of welding workshops, though not satisfactory. Due to very low awareness, the workers come in contact with the transformer oil regularly and many health impacts such as eye problems, skin related complication, weakness and respiratory problems might be due to this exposure; however, exact impacts could not be verified scientifically.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11727       

International Journal of Environment

Volume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014

Page : 12-23

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
1114
PDF
963

Downloads

Published

2014-12-15

How to Cite

K.C., L., & Devkota, B. (2014). PCBs Contaminantion of Transformer Oil and its Occupational Health and Safety Status in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. International Journal of Environment, 3(4), 12–23. https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11727

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2014)

Section

Research Papers

License

The author(s) acknowledge that the manuscript submitted is his/her/their own original work; all authors participated in the work in a substantive way and are prepared to take public responsibility for the work; all authors have seen and approved the manuscript as submitted;  the manuscript has not been published and is not being submitted or considered for publication elsewhere; the text, illustrations, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe(plagiarism) upon any existing copyright or other rights of anyone.

Notwithstanding the above, the Contributor(s) or, if applicable the Contributor’s Employer, retain(s) all proprietary rights other than copyright, such as Patent rights; to use, free of charge, all parts of this article for the author’s future works in books, lectures, classroom teaching or oral presentations; the right to reproduce the article for their own purposes provided the copies are not offered for sale.

The copyright to the contribution identified is transferred to IJE.