Bri wrote:
Well, something of a hornet's nest here - pleased you are all enjoying the
debate.

My 'conclusion' thus far:

1) No one actually knows if the capacitors in question contain PCB's
2) If they do, they may or may not be hazardous even in small amounts

3) Therefo

i) I will test the fluid as described in posts
ii) I will treat them as hazardous material in the meantime


Now where did I put my rubber suit?

Bri

Bri,

The one part of the discussion that you should note, is that in industry,
folks were literally bathing in the stuff, (occasionally) with no problem.
We have several of those folks here on the group, and they have related their
personal experience.

Every single person that handled carbon and mimeograph paper in the 1930's
through 1970 came into contact with more PCB on each sheet than you will find
in the leakage around your capacitors. PCB was used to keep the ink soft.
Same with stamp pads, TTY ribbons, and single use carbon ribbons. I can vividly
remember the smell of the stuff on those products. Did we have a rash (sic humour)
of secretarial folks with chloroacne, and liver disease?

Other factory folks were exposed to it daily, ate lunch with hands that had it on
them, smoked cigarettes from fingers covered with it, and drank from wells that
were contaminated with the stuff, surprise! some of them showed
some symptoms, such as chloroacne and liver difficulties.

Still other folks got exposed unintentionally, through food made in mills that
accidentally leaked the stuff into the food, and wells that were contaminated by
extreme factory dumping, or ate fish from rivers that were subject to millions
of gallons of factory dumping, and they too showed symptoms.

If you take reasonable precautions to keep the stuff off of your skin, and
out of your mouth, you will not be harmed. Even if you don't, at those small
amounts, it is very doubtful that you will ever show any symptoms.

Now as to disposal: The last time I brought that subject up with the hazardous
chemical group at our local landfill, they were quoting something like $100 for
a single motor run capacitor (that may, or may not have contained PCB).

Better to sell your old caps to the audio/guitar guys on ebay ;-)

-Chuck