Production and application of PCBs has been banned in many developed countries, including Japan, since the 1970s, however, certain issues regarding PCB contamination are still emerging on a global scale. Emission sources and distribution of PCBs and related persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have changed significantly due to strengthened regulations on chemical usage in developed countries and expanded industrial activities in developing and transitional countries. Increased emissions of PCBs and other POPs in subtropical and tropical regions has led to the expansion of their contamination on a global scale―and solutions to such emerging issues will require international cooperation and support. In addition, contamination from PCBs has expanded even into remote areas, including open oceans as a result of long-range transport through the atmosphere and ocean circulation. In particular, polar regions and deep sea environments appear to be playing the role of final sinks for PCBs and other POPs. Significant accumulation of PCBs and related POPs has been observed in wild animals at high trophic levels of the food chain. Disruption of endocrine and immune systems from exposure to these contaminants were suggested through eco-toxicological studies on marine mammals. Further monitoring and international cooperation will be crucial for elucidating upon the global fate of PCBs and for developing the appropriate control measures for PCBs & POP-like chemicals.

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Treatment of high concentration PCB waste has greatly progressed at the five regional JESCO facilities. In order to observe the fixed limit and to complete the treatment of high concentration-PCB waste at the soonest, institutional measures have been introduced in an amendment to the PCB Special Measures Law in 2016. The main tenets of this amendment include :
・Development of a basic plan through cabinet vote to be enforced by the Minister of the Environment in order to promote and deepen government efforts on this issue ;
・An obligation to handle before the Deadline for Completion of Scheduled Treatment any high concentration-PCB waste that have been abandoned/disposed of, along with products currently in use ;
・Strengthening of systems for reporting collection and for those overseeing on-site inspections for prefectural governments ;
・Disposal of high concentration-PCB waste by proxy in cases where the waste holder responsible for disposal is not known.
Henceforward, it will be necessary to ensure progress through questionnaire surveys that calculate total amounts for PCB waste and products among prefectural governments, operators dealing with electricity services, and other concerned parties. Timely and proper management of this progress will be crucial to moving forward promptly.

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Japan Environmental Storage & Safety Corporation (JESCO) is a special company wholly owned by the government. JESCO has been treating high-concentration PCB waste nationwide using chemical treatment methods at five regional facilities constructed in Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture, the Tokyo Metropolitan area, Osaka City in Osaka Prefecture, and Muroran City in Hokkaido Prefecture. This is all being done in cooperation with local governments. In light of the PCB Special Measures Law being revised in 2016, the framework for finishing treatment by the deadline was changed, JESCO is addressing new challenges, such as strengthening environmental and safety management strategies, investigating hidden PCBs, planning long-term treatment of PCB waste, and dismantling and clearance of PCB waste treatment facilities. Although the highest priority is given to safety, completion of PCB treatment must be completed without any further delay.

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With the understanding and cooperation of local residents, Japan’s first PCB-treatment waste facility was established in Kitakyushu City in December 2004. Since then, the city has taken an initiative to conduct a detailed questionnaire survey on PCB-containing products in order to better control and eliminate their presence in the region. The questionnaire survey targets not only business operators that must disclose usage of electric facilities for private use, but almost all of the businesses in the city. Some businesses, however, have failed to respond to the survey. For such companies, the city has made every effort to continue its investigation into the total amount of PCB-containing materials at large: including conducting second rounds the questionnaire survey, follow-up phone contact，and on-site inspections. The survey is also important as it provides businesses with information regarding the places where PCB-containing units have been used or are stored. Through its detailed questionnaire survey conducted with 50,000 businesses four times during the years 2008 to 2014, Kitakyushu City has been able to successfully grasp an actual figure for the number of waste PCB units to be controlled.

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It was revealed in 2002 that a considerable number of transformers and capacitors were unintentionally contaminated with small amounts of PCBs. The main cause of this contamination is presumed to be the use of recycled insulating oils in production of the machinery, which continued since 1990. The amount is estimated at approximately 1.2 million units for transformers and capacitors and 1,400km for oil-filled ground cables. To promote the appropriate disposal of such a huge amount while keeping the PCB level of the wastes to a minimum, the Ministry of the Environment took measures to develop a Minister’s certification system in compliance with the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law of November 2009. At present, 35 certified operators have been permitted by prefectural governors to detoxify the waste through incineration and washing processes. In addition, an effective process called ‘energized natural circulation washing’ can also be applied for cleansing PCB contaminated transformers in-use. To meet the regulated deadline for PCB waste elimination, the end of March 2027, further new actions will be required including the promotion of mechanical surveys to check for pollution and development of the capacities and various applicable processes for detoxification.

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Evaporation of PCBs from PCB waste in Japan has been estimated based on field measurements from 10 PCB waste storage facilities. An emissions inventory for PCBs was also compiled, and includes evaporation and emissions from unintentional thermal sources. The inventory was used to estimate atmospheric PCBs concentrations, which were then compared with the observed concentrations. The evaporation rate was higher as the temperature gets higher. Evaporation from PCB waste decreased to almost half from 2004 to 2013 due in part to the reduction of PCB waste stocks, along with improved storage conditions. Emission from unintentional sources remained almost the same over that same period and was a major contributor to mono-CBs, however it was smaller compared to evaporation in terms of total PCBs. It was found that other emission sources, such as pigment impurities or PCB-containing sealants, might be affecting the di-CBs and penta- and higher chlorinated PCBs.

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