40 CFR § 761.386 - Required experimental conditions for the validation study and subsequent use during decontamination.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t40/s761.386"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "40 CFR § 761.386 - Required experimental conditions for the validation study and subsequent use during decontamination."
title_number: 40
title_name: "Protection of Environment"
section_number: "761.386"
section_name: "Required experimental conditions for the validation study and subsequent use during decontamination."
chapter_name: "ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY"
subchapter_number: "R"
subchapter_name: "TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT"
part_number: "761"
part_name: "POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) MANUFACTURING, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE, AND USE PROHIBITIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "15 U.S.C. 2605, 2607, 2611, 2614, and 2616 and 42 U.S.C. 6939g."
regulatory_source: "43 FR 7156, Feb. 17, 1978, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "761"
---


# 761.386 Required experimental conditions for the validation study and subsequent use during decontamination.

The following experimental conditions apply for any solvent:

(a) *Temperature and pressure.* Conduct the validation study and perform decontamination at room temperature (from ≥15 °C to ≤30 °C) and at atmospheric pressure.

(b) *Agitation.* Limit the movement in the solvent to the short-term movement from placing the contaminated surface into the soak solvent and from removing the surface from the soak solvent.

(c) *Time of soak.* Soak the surface for a minimum of 1 hour.

(d) *Surface conditions for the validation study.* Prior to beginning the validation study, ensure that there are no free-flowing liquids on surfaces and that surfaces are dry (i.e., there are no liquids visible without magnification). Also ensure that surfaces are virtually free from non-liquid residues, corrosion, and other defects which would prevent the solvent from freely circulating over the surface.

(e) *Confirmatory sampling for the validation study.* Select surface sample locations using representative sampling or a census. Sample a minimum area of 100 cm
<sup>2</sup> on each individual surface in the validation study. Measure surface concentrations using the standard wipe test, as defined in § 761.123, from which a standard wipe sample is generated for chemical analysis. Guidance for wipe sampling appears in the document entitled “Wipe Sampling and Double Wash/Rinse Cleanup as Recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency PCB Spill Cleanup Policy,” available on EPA's website at *https://www.epa.gov/pcbs,* or from the Program Implementation and Information Division, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (5303T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001.

(f) *Concentration of PCBs.* The method validated may be used only to decontaminate surfaces containing PCBs at concentrations on which the validation study was performed and lower concentrations.

[63 FR 35473, June 29, 1998, as amended at 72 FR 57241, Oct. 9, 2007; 74 FR 30235, June 25, 2009; 88 FR 59695, Aug. 29, 2023]