PCBs ( polychlorinated Biphenyls) belong to the group of POPs (persistent organic pollutents). These 12 POPs are banned by the Stockholm Convention (May 2001). PCBs are ubiquitous today. You may find them in electrical devices (transformers, capacitors etc.), in hydraulic liquids, paints, caulkings and many other substances. The highest quantity is in the electrical devices. Several chemical industries produced insulation liquids which contain about 60 % PCB (30 % Chlorobenzenes and 10 % additives). These liquids have been sold under various trade names. Furthermore a lot of oil-filled transformers have been contaminated by using contaminated equipment for filling them up or during maintenance. There are a couple of reasons for these contaminations. The main period for the PCB use has been between 1960 and 1985 - world-wide. As the PCB containing liquid costed about 5 to 7 times more than oil (the transformer filled with it about double the price of an oil-filled one) the majority of the transformers are filled with oil. The good electrical properties of these PCB containing liquids and the circumstance that it is not enflammable led the todays owners of PCB containg transformers and capacitors to their descission for them. Thus these devices are mostly at the private industry or some public places where any risk of further food for a surrounding fire had strictly to be avoided (hospitals, airports, in urban areas etc.). In the mid to late 70ths people suspected in some countries already the toxicity of PCB. At temperatures between 250 and about 900°C PCBs will partly change to polychlorinated Furans and the Chlorobenzenes will partly change to polychlorinated Dioxins. Both, polychlorinated Furans and Dioxins, are another two substances belonging to the 12 POPs. Accidents like shortcut-curcuit or surrounding fire would generate Dioxins and Furans. The copper in the transformers assist as catalyst. As most of these PCB containing devices are close to its end of life, the risk of such accidents is strongly encreasing. Any accident is followed by extremely high costs for the decontamination of the area around. People who decontaminate the area must wear special protection cloths and must be trained for such activities. Furthermore there are only a few licensed disposal facilities for the contaminated materials. Many international companies already set up projects for the replacement of these PCB containing or contamainated equipment at their sites around the globe. If you want to know more about this item, do not hesitate to contact me. Based on my long experience with PCB could assist you with all aspects related to PCB, such as taking an inventory, training local staff, prepare tenders for the disposal, organize replacement activities in line with your needs and control the correct disposal itself. I know almost all licensed PCB disposal facilities but I am not dependant of any one.