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The Churchill County School District sent samples of the black, oily substance that leaked from a fluorescent light ballast at Northside Elementary School last week to a Virginia lab for testing.
Superintendent Carolyn Ross said results will be posted on the school district Web site at www.churchill.k12.nv.us as soon as they become available, possibly as early as this week.
The site will also provide information about possible PCB, or polychlorinated biphenyl, in old light ballasts in Fallon schools.
Ross said a frequently asked questions format and information about what the district is doing to remove old ballasts containing toxic PCB from three schools - Northside, E.C. Best Elementary School and Cottage School, will available on the Web site.
The issue was raised last week when a custodian cleaned up an oily substance that leaked from a light ballast while he was cleaning a room at Northside. The janitor learned the next day the mess contained PCB, a toxic chemical used in fluorescent light fixtures made before 1979. PCB is known to cause serious health problems in human and animal studies, including cancer.
Ross said the paper towel the custodian used to clean up the leak was sent to Schiender Laboratory, Inc. in Richmond, Va., where it will be tested for PCBs. According to the lab's Web site, it charges $65 to test for PCBs.
"They received it this morning and we expect to hear back from them on Wednesday," Ross said Monday morning.
She said the testing was ordered upon advice from Converse Consulting, a firm the district uses when mold or other environmental issues arise in the school district. The company has offices in Reno, Elko and Las Vegas.
The school district's electrician said approximately 1,100 old light fixtures that contain the toxic chemical are still in use in the district. (See related story)
When the ballast leaks, it causes serious health risks. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry lists PCB as a carcinogen.
Superintendent Carolyn Ross said results will be posted on the school district Web site at www.churchill.k12.nv.us as soon as they become available, possibly as early as this week.
The site will also provide information about possible PCB, or polychlorinated biphenyl, in old light ballasts in Fallon schools.
Ross said a frequently asked questions format and information about what the district is doing to remove old ballasts containing toxic PCB from three schools - Northside, E.C. Best Elementary School and Cottage School, will available on the Web site.
The issue was raised last week when a custodian cleaned up an oily substance that leaked from a light ballast while he was cleaning a room at Northside. The janitor learned the next day the mess contained PCB, a toxic chemical used in fluorescent light fixtures made before 1979. PCB is known to cause serious health problems in human and animal studies, including cancer.
Ross said the paper towel the custodian used to clean up the leak was sent to Schiender Laboratory, Inc. in Richmond, Va., where it will be tested for PCBs. According to the lab's Web site, it charges $65 to test for PCBs.
"They received it this morning and we expect to hear back from them on Wednesday," Ross said Monday morning.
She said the testing was ordered upon advice from Converse Consulting, a firm the district uses when mold or other environmental issues arise in the school district. The company has offices in Reno, Elko and Las Vegas.
The school district's electrician said approximately 1,100 old light fixtures that contain the toxic chemical are still in use in the district. (See related story)
When the ballast leaks, it causes serious health risks. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry lists PCB as a carcinogen.
