Countermeasures for PCBs Taken by Hyogo Prefecture (Takasago West Port) Hyogo Prefectural Government Agricultural and Environmental Affairs Dept. Environmental Management Bureau, Water and Air Quality Control Division Kotoko UENISHI
What are PCBs PCB stands for Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl, a class of poly chlorinated compounds. Theoretically 209 isomers exist depending on the number of chlorine atoms in the molecular and substituent positions. Particularly Coplanar PCB (coplanar means shapes, structures that lie on the same plane) is extremely toxic and belongs to the class of so-called Dioxins. PCBs are chemically stable compounds, having low water solubility, high boiling temperature, hardly degradable by heat, and non- burnable as well as electrically insulated. Therefore, they had been widely utilized as insulating oil for electrical equipment and heat catalyst for heat exchanger as well as carbonless paper. 1
Since PCBs have superior characteristics such as insulating (preventing electricity from passing through), and incombustible (hardly burn), they have been used for a wide variety of products including electrical equipment such as trans-condenser When Kanemiyusho (Kanemi rice oil disease) incident occurred in 1968, growing social attention had been paid to their toxicities and the use of PCBs had come to a social issue. As a result, the manufacturing of PCBs was banned in 1972
1 Great attentions had been paid to PCBs inspired by Kanamiyusho (Kanemi rice oil disease) incident. This incident was caused by PCBs, etc. that were used as heat catalyst and accidentally mixed into rice oil during a deodorization process. In October of 1968, food poisoning caused by rice oil broke out in wide areas with a focus on the west Japan. The number of patients were estimated to be about 13,000. 2 General symptoms of PCB poisonings such as eye mucus, pigmentary deposit on nails and oral cavity membrane as well as chloro-acne, deformation of nails, swelling of eye lids and joints are reported. Deodorization process for rice oil Kanemi rice oil incident heating a hole Rice oil
1968 Kanemiyusho (Kanemi rice oil) disease incident 1972~ PCBs surveys for bottom sediments in coastal seas and rivers carried out throughout the country 1972 PCBs contamination was found in the bottom sediments dredged from Takasago West Port PCB Contaminations in Takasago West Port
Dredging in Takasago West Port (1974~1975 )
The details of the treatment of PCB-containing bottom sediments 1 PCB-containing bottom sediments piled up in the port were dredged and solidified, then, banked in the area owned by the alleged manufacturing company. ① The 1 st phase of construction: September, 1974~March, 1975 The 2 nd phase of construction: August, 1975~August, 1976 ② Amount of the dredged soil: 301,000m 3 ③ Amount of banked soil: 283,000m 3 (Dredged & solidified soil 224,000m 3, Amount of covering soil 59,000m 3 ) ④ Area for banking: 51,000m 2 2 The surface and the bottom of the banked area were covered by asphalt, and the area has been controlled completely cut off from outside areas. Survey results for PCBs contained in bottom sediments in the Takasago West Port 1 Bottom sediment survey before dredging(June, 1972~April, 1973) 19 survey points Maximum 3,300ppm~Minimum 20ppm 2 Bottom sediment survey immediately after dredging(January, 1976) 40 survey points 4 cross points Average value 4.53ppm~0.02ppm (Tentative removal standard for bottom sediments: 10ppm)
PCB related standards ParametersStandard values, etc.Remarks Water quality Environmental standards regarding water pollution - Not detected (<0.0005mg/L) Environmental Basic Law Environmental standards regarding groundwater - Not detected (<0.0005mg/L) Effluent standards-0.003mg/LWater Pollution Control Law Tentative removal standards for bottom sediments content10ppm Notification made by Director General of Water Quality Preservation Bureau, Environment Agency in 1975 Environmental standards with regard to soil pollution elution Not detected (<0.0005mg/L) Environmental Basic Law Standards with regard to specification of soil pollution (standards for elution volume) elution Not detected (<0.0005mg/L) Soil Contamination Countermeasure Act Standards with regard to actions for removal of polluted soil, etc. (The 2 nd standards for elution volume) elution0.003mg/L Standards with regard to judgment for industrial wastes (sludge) elution0.003mg/L Law Concerning Waste Treatment and Clean- up Concentrations in the atmosphere (guideline values) -0.05μg/m3 Tentative allowable limit for PCBs release in exhaust gas when PCBs are incinerated (Notification by Director General of Atmospheric Preservation Bureau, Environment Agency in 1972). Guidelines regarding treatment and disposal of bottom sediments (Notification by Director of Water Environment Dept., Ministry of Environment in 2002)
Takasago West Port in m 100m
Restoration and improvement of Takasago West Port ③ Enhance accessibilities ④ Create water-front park ① Enhance Port functions ② Permanent protective measures and effective utilization strategies for the bank
Permanent protective measures for banking site PCB-containing solidified soil Carbide scum, bank(sand, gravel) Sandy soil Clay (non-permeable layer) Non-permeable underground soil retaining wall Reinforced protective wall Surface cover Sea
PCB Surveys for Atmosphere and Water PCB survey for atmosphere and water (Takasago city, Hyogo prefecture & related companies) ○Atmosphere ○Rain water ○Ground water ○Sea water ●Continuous monitoring of public water bodies ○○○○PCB tracing survey by Takasago city and companies (twice a year) ●Continuous monitoring by Hyogo Prefecture (4 times a year) All the measured values have been below quantitation limit since For banking Dredging Takasago West Port Landfill
PCB Survey for Bottom Sediments PCB survey for bottom sediments (Takasago City) once a year All the survey points have shown PCB concentrations below tentative removal standards for PCB For banking Landfill Dredging Takasago West port
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