PCBs were used in insulating oils of transformers, condensers and capacitors, lubricating oil, plasticizer, carbonless duplicating papers, and paints.

Uses Examples of products, and the places they are used Insulating oil For transformers Transformers for buildings, hospitals, railroad vehicles, vessels, etc. For capacitors Capacitor for fluorescent lights and mercury lamps. Household electrical appliances, such as air-conditioners, washing machines, monochrome television sets, and microwave ovens. Fixed paper capacitors for motors, capacitors for direct currents, capacitors for accumulation of electricity . Heat medium (heating and cooling) Heating and cooling agent in various chemical, food, synthetic resin industry. Preheating agent of the fuel oil of vessels, central heating systems, and panel heaters. Lubricating oil Lubricating oil for high temperature, fluid for oil-hydraulic circuits, vacuum pump oil, etc. Plasticizer For insulation Covering and insulating tape of an electric wire. For resistances to flame Mixed to polyester resin, polyethylene resin, rubber, etc. Others Mixed to adhesives, varnish, wax, and asphalt. Dot impact printer Non carbonic papers (solvents), electronic type copying papers Paints and printer inks Paints for fire-resistance, corrosion-resistance, chemical-resistance, and waterproof. Printer inks. Others Coating of papers, sealants of cars, coloring of china glassware, color television parts, the effect extension agents of agricultural chemicals, oil additive agents.

Ministry of Environment (2001); "For proper processing of polychloro biphenyl (PCB) waste."
Pamphlet.

These pictures (transformer, condenser, and capacitor) are typical equipments that uses PCBs. I talk about how much these equipments exist in Japan, next slide

Transformer

Condenser

Capacitor

This figure shows the amount of PCBs used and stored. I got this information from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's report of 1998. Since this report is imcomplete, there may be other PCBs which is not on this data. However, for now I use these data. Further research is necessary.

The amount of PCBs produced in Japan is 58,787 tons, 54,001 tons of them are reported to be in use or used inside the country. PCBs are mainly used in electric equipment, It is about 70%.

Among electric equipments in high pressure transformer and condenser, large amount of PCBs are used, it is about 34,700 tons. High pressure transformer and condenser was produced about 390,000, of which, 11,000 are unknown or lost. This is a big problem.

The production of low pressure transformer and condenser are unknown.

The amount of PCBs in fluorescent right capacitors are 600 tons, it is small than transformers and capacitors. But the amount of production are 20 millions, the amount lost was much bigger than capacitor. Although capacitor contains small amount of PCBs content, the amount of production and lost are large. Therefore, capacitor a source of PCBs contamination too.

Since PCBs detoxification treatments are not being conducted in Japan, all PCBs equipments that passed their expiry dates must be stored. According to the Waste Management Law, the storage of PCBs should be registered and the storage area should be arranged in the following ways;

• Enclose with walls
• Labeling on an easily recognized place
  • Example: <labelling on equipments> This equipment contains PCBs
  • Example: <labelling on storage facility> PCBs waste storage area
• Not drainage and system impermeable floor
• Set partition fences when storing other substances together
• No room heating and storage of inflammable substances together
• Prevent rainwater
  
  Not only to avoid the loss of equipments during storage, detoxification treatment of PCBs must be conducted as soon as possible since the risk of PCBs leakage during the storage is estimated to be larger than the risk of leakage in the process of treatment.

In Japan, the impact of the Kanemi Usho Case kept residents away from the approval of the construction of PCBs disposition facilities. However the government had set a goal last year (2001) to complete PCBs disposition in 15 years.

PCBs detoxification treatments conducted in Japan are only two cases. The first one is a high temperature decomposition conducted during 1987 to 1989 by Kaneka Industries, a corporation which had been producing PCBs in the past. 5500 tons of PCBs which had been used as heat exchange media were incinerated at a temperature above 1100.

The second case was a disposition of carbonless duplicating paper. 1778 tons were incinerated on ships in Tokyo Bay. However no further disposition has been conducted because of the opposition from the residents.

Many people do not support PCBs disposition by incineration, maybe because incineration facilities emit dioxins. The government allowed the application of chemical treatment method.
This year, Kita-Kyushu City expressed the acceptance of the construction of a PCBs disposition facility. It has not been decided which method of disposition will be adopted in this facility; a discussion is going to be held among people including specialists and residents.

I introduce the law about PCBs.

In Japan, PCBs began to be produced in 1954. The Kanemi Yusho Case occurred in 1968. In 1974, production, import, and new use of PCBs were banned substantially and the storage of old PCBs equipments that passed their lifetime period became obligation.

However as I told before it was difficult to build facility for treatment. So the amount of PCBs waste are increasing, partly lost.

The movement of elimination POPs (Persistent organochlorine Pollutants) such as PCBs is developing in worldwide, POPs treaty adopted in 2001. The countries which ratified POPs treaty must eliminate by 2028.

This worldwide current movement prompted, Japanese government to work earnestly on PCBs disposition. The Law Regarding Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCBs Wastes was enacted in June 2001. By this law, the registration of the use and the storage of PCBs became mandatory to prevent the loss of PCBs equipments and to promote detoxification treatment.

The law about PCBs

1929 Swan Company, which merges with Monsanto Company afterwards, begins the production of PCBs in the United States 1954 The production of PCBs starts in Japan. (Kaneka Industries starts the production this year. Then in 1969, Mitsubishi Monsanto Company.) 1968 The Kanemi Usho Case occurs in Japan. The poisonous characteristics of PCBs become a serious social issue 1972 The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry prescribes the industries to stop the production of PCBs and to collect PCBs. 1974 The Law Regarding Safety Assessment and Production of Chemicals enacted in Japan. (It forbids production, import, and the new use of PCBs.) 1976 Incineration at high temperature is suggested as one of the disposition methods in Waste Management Law in Japan 1987-89 Incineration of 5500 tons of liquid PCBs were done by Kaneka Industries at Kousa Plant 1992 PCBs were specified as Industrial Wastes Subject to Special Control in Japan 1998 1998 Chemical treatment was added as a disposition method in Waste Management Law in Japan 2000 New chemical decomposition treatment was added to the disposition methods in Waste Management Law. Millennium Project starts in Japan December - POPs treaty agreed in Johannesburg 2001 May - POPs Treaty adopted in Stockholm June - The Law Regarding Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCBs Wastes enacted in Japan October - amend the law electric business

The owner of the equipment containing
PCBs have to register the amount of stored PCBs waste and stored situation.

The government made pamphlet, and appealed to owners of PCBs for registration. These are the pamphlets made by the ministry of the environment, Tokyo and Tochigi.

The mandatory registration has just started recently. Most owners don't know about the registration. The government is puzzled how to tell owners. It is a big challenge for the government to let all owners know about the registration in order to get a clear picture of how much PCBs is stored.

Ministry of the environment	Tokyo	Tochigi

'The current law regarding promotion of proper treatment of PCBs wastes' is effective for stored PCBs waste. But it is not effective for capacitors.

If people who uses PCB equipment changed with a new one without PCB, he has to store the old PCBs equipment, thus owners of PCBs have to register the amount of stored PCBs.

But the person who use PCBs equipment don't need to register. Therefore the person may even don't know they are PCBs owners. Their equipments may be disposed as a municipal waste. Then, PCBs contaminate the environment.

I summarize current issues in Japan.

The amount of PCBs equipment is unknown. The amount of PCBs is also unknown.
The detoxification treatment of PCBs has been proceed.
There are few regions that accept planning of PCBs treatment facilities.
The public don't understand the issue of PCBs.
PCBs pollution is under way, now

I talk about the action by Japan Offspring Fund to next slide.