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UK Guidance: Collection and Disposal of Equipment Containing Small Amounts of PCBs

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Scottish Executive Environment Group
March 2002
Paper 2002/7

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Further copies of this guidance may be obtained from:

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UK GUIDANCE ON THE COLLECTION AND SUBSEQUENT DISPOSAL OF PCB CONTAINING EQUIPMENT WHICH IS LESS THAN 5 LITRES IN VOLUME AND WHICH IS CONTAINED WITHIN ANOTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT

Who is this guidance aimed at?

1. This guidance provides advice on the identification, removal, storage pending disposal and final destruction of small PCB containing capacitors for anyone who may handle waste electrical goods and who may need to remove and dispose of small PCB capacitors. Such bodies may include local authority civic amenity sites, waste management facilities, electrical retailers, premise re-fitters, vehicle dismantlers etc.

Issue

2. European Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) requires that where reasonably practicable, PCB containing equipment, which is less than 5 litres in volume and which is contained within another piece of equipment, shall be removed and collected separately when the latter equipment is taken out of use, recycled or disposed of. These components will mainly consist of small capacitors in electrical equipment such as refrigerators, washing machines, cookers and fluorescent light fittings manufactured between the 1950s and 1980s.

3. In the past, best practices for processing (shredding, crushing, and bailing) disposed white goods containing small PCB capacitors have resulted in contamination with PCBs of the rest of the waste, processing equipment, soils and surface waters where these materials are stored. Ensuring proper removal, storage and disposal procedures for small PCB capacitors will significantly reduce the volume of PCB contaminated waste generated during white goods processing and will reduce emissions of PCBs to the environment.

What are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)?

4. PCB is the common name for polychlorinated biphenyl. PCBs range in appearance from colourless, oily liquids to more viscous and increasingly darker liquids, to yellow and black resins depending on the chlorine content. They were used in a wide range of 'open' applications such as sealants, lubricants and cutting oils and also in 'closed' applications such as transformers, capacitors and electrical switching equipment, where PCB-containing oil served as an insulant and coolant. They were used because they are extremely stable and have excellent insulating and heat transfer properties. They also do not degrade appreciably over time or with exposure to high temperatures. However, PCBs are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in fatty tissue. They can now be detected at low levels in all environmental media and animal tissues.

The UK production of PCBs ceased in 1976. However, the sale for use in electrical equipment was allowed until 1986.

Health effects of PCBs

5. Evidence from experiments with animals show that PCBs can disturb liver metabolism, affect the endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, and cause cancer, with such affects often seen at relatively low doses. In contrast, the only consistent clinical finding seen in humans after severe PCB exposure is chloracne, a disfiguring skin condition. Although there is inadequate human evidence for effects other than chloracne, the pattern of animal evidence and the marked ability of PCBs to accumulate in the body does give rise to concern for human effects following high exposures to PCBs.

What equipment does this guidance cover?

Small Electrical and Electronic Appliances

6. PCB capacitors may have been used in the following electrical and electronic appliances manufactured between the 1950s and the mid-1980s:

• Fluorescent strip lights for industrial and business premises
• Domestic appliances such as washing machines, spin dryers, mangles, cooker hoods, microwave ovens, freezers and dishwashers
• Audio/visual equipment
• Street and garden lights
• Oil burners and warm air appliances
• Vehicle start motors

7. The service life of domestic appliances and equivalent equipment is between 5 and 25 years so, while the majority of appliances are likely to have been replaced by now, there may still be appliances in use which still contain PCB capacitors. Much of the equipment listed above currently being discarded is liable to be of an age where they do not contain PCBs and so will not need to be covered by the guidance.

Identification of PCB capacitors

8. There is very little information available on the names and types of capacitors manufactured with PCBs. They have not been made for many years, and many of the manufacturers are no longer operating so much information on products containing PCBs has been lost. The European Commission tried to compile a list of production names of certain capacitors containing PCBs manufactured in Europe (see Annex 1), however the data is fairly sparse.

9. Some guidance on the identification of small PCB capacitors in the most commonly used equipment is given below, but in many cases you will be unable to tell - therefore you should judge on basis of age of the equipment.

10. Many manufacturers included PCBs in all capacitors which they produced during this period of time and it would be prudent to assume that any equipment manufactured before 1986 has PCB-containing capacitors unless it is reasonable to assume the contrary.

Fluorescent lighting

11. The major waste stream containing small PCB filled capacitors is old fluorescent strip and street lighting.

PCB containing capacitors within fluorescent light fittings are likely to have the following:

• A resonant start;
• A capacitor that is cylindrical or rectangular, encased in an aluminium container with a weld running all round the top edge with two terminals with quick connect tags;
• A date mark from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s;
• A capacitor encased in a rectangular metal container with soldered seams;
• Slightly heavier than similar types of capacitors manufactured after the 1970s (which do not contain PCBs)

12. Fluorescent light capacitors are located in the housing of the light fixtures. You may have to unscrew the back panel to access them.

Electrical and electronic equipment

13. White goods and other domestic appliances such as washing machines, cookers and radios. These are most likely to contain starting capacitors, which are used to assist a single-phase electric motor in starting. These components are used for short periods of time during operation of the motor. Consequently, starting capacitors do not need to dissipate heat and are, therefore, primarily dry capacitors.

• Starting capacitors are most easily identified by black plastic casing or outer shell.
• If the capacitor is dry, the casing is not hermetically sealed or totally enclosed, but generally contains a porous plug at one end. Dry capacitors do not contain PCB and will not need separate collection.

14. The capacitor will be attached to the housing of the motor and may be covered by a protective casing. This cover must be removed to access the capacitor.

Vehicles

15. Vehicles manufactured before 1986 would have had limited electrical circuitry and are therefore likely to have contained just one capacitor as part of the starter motor.

Collection

16. White goods equipment should not be allowed to be crushed before being taken to a site for dismantling. Capacitors containing PCBs should be removed intact from the equipment and disposed of whole - taking care not to release the PCB content. Removal of damaged or leaking capacitors from the equipment must be carried out with care following HSE guidance on the handling of PCBs - see below.

17. After removal, PCB containing equipment should be placed in a polythene bag, which should then be placed in a sealable metal container which is in good leakproof order. If some of the materials are leaking steps should taken to ensure the contents do not escape - for example the container could be partially filled with an absorbent material, such as a commercial absorbent, cat litter, or diatomaceous earth. It is advisable to store intact and leaking capacitors in separate sealed containers. Containers must then be clearly marked with the details of their contents and must be maintained in good order, with no visible signs of damage or corrosion. The total volume of PCBs held in one given area should not exceed 5 litres.

Storage prior to disposal

18. Any PCB containing material should be disposed of as soon as possible, but if they have to be stored for any length of time they should be stored in a separate location well away from food preparation areas to prevent ingestion or cross-contamination, and any sources of heat or flammable liquids. All sealed containers should be stored in an area that prevents any discharge of PCBs to the environment. There should be no drains to avoid leakage to water and no entry from any unauthorised personnel to prevent tampering.

Disposal

19. PCBs, as special wastes, need to be safely disposed of at facilities licensed to dispose of them, and consigned in accordance with the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (as amended) (Special Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998) and in accordance with the consignment note system. The wastes will need to be transported for disposal by a carrier registered with the Environment Agencies under The Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations 1991 and the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.

The following waste management companies are licensed to treat PCB wastes via high temperature incineration:

Safe handling of PCBs

20. Guidance on how to handle PCBs is given in an HSE publication HSE Leaflet (1995) "PCBs and You" which can be obtained by mail order from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 6FS (Tel 01787 313995).

Annex 1: LIST OF PRODUCTION NAMES OF CAPACITORS CONTAINING PCBs

Small changes in the way we perform everyday tasks can have huge impacts on Scotland's environment.

Walking short distances rather than using the car, or being careful not to overfill the kettle are just two positive steps we can all take.

This butterfly represents the beauty and fragility of Scotland's environment. The motif will be utilised extensively by the Scottish Executive and its partners in their efforts to persuade people they can do a little to change a lot.