Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl (R)

Under the UNDP GEF SGP supported program "Awareness raising and capacity building for elimination of POPs and its Sources from Nepal (2013-2014)", CEPHED conducted a study on PCBs and their impact on health and environment (a case study of Grill Workshop Workers in Nepal). Study was conducted throughout the country. (The final document is in progress). Along with the research, Inventory regarding the consumption of transformer oil was prepared.


Study of PCBs and their impact on Health and Environment
(A case study of grill workers in Kathmandu Valley)
During 2011, CEPHED conducted a research "Study of PCBs and their impact on Health and Environment (A case study of grill workshop workers), Kathmandu Valley" under the support of UNDP GEF SGP. Study was conducted with objective to find out the knowledge and practices about PCBs and PCB contaminated transformer oil heavily being used in the Welding Workshop as the coolant for their welding machine in almost all grill workshops in the Kathmandu Valley.

Abstract of the Study:

This is descriptive study and sample was collected by simple random sampling. Quantitative methods were used for data collection and analysis.
In order to obtain grill workers opinions regarding PCBs contaminated oil and their impact on health and on environment this research was conducted through the help of structured and pretested set of questionnaire.

 

The sample size of this study was 105 (about 10 percent of the grill workshops registered in the country) among the sample size around 30 percent of the respondents has more than 10 years of experience by being in the welding business. Around 15 percent of respondent were found the age group between 15-20.

The study found that only three percent of workers have heard about PCBs and only 14 percent of workers they know something about the impact of transformer oil on health and only eight percent of worker has knowledge about impact of transformer oil on environment. The study found only five percent has used personal protective gears while handling transformers oil. The findings of this research also revealed that in 49 percent of grill workshop`s workers are suffering from eye problems, 37 percent of grill workshop`s workers are suffering from skin related disease and in two percent of grill workshop`s workers have respiratory problems.