Precautions of capacitor inspection and its treatment based on the PCB Special Measures Law

Ono, Ayato; Takayanagi, Tomohiro   ; Sugita, Moe ; Ueno, Tomoaki*; Horino, Koki*; Yamamoto, Kazami   ; Kinsho, Michikazu  

In the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), many electrical facilities such as power receiving equipment and power supply units are installed in experimental facilities such as the Nuclear Science Research Institute (NSRI) and the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). However, some facilities have been in operation for more than half a century since they were manufactured, some have already been closed or deactivated, and others are still in operation while replacing parts and taking other aging measures. In these facilities, materials that were used because of their excellent properties at the time of manufacture are now designated as hazardous substances and require special management when disposed of. One of them is polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). PCB were used in a very wide range of fields because of their stability against heat, high electrical insulation, and chemical resistance. However, it was found that PCB have persistent properties and may cause damage to human health and the living environment, and the government has enacted the "Act on Special Measures for Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes (PCB Special Measures Law)" to promote reliable and proper disposal. JAEA has almost completed the excavation survey of high-concentration PCB waste and is in the process of excavating low-concentration PCB waste. However, there are still new relevant items to be discovered. This report summarizes and reports the knowledge necessary for identifying PCB waste and points to be noted when handling capacitors, etc., based on examples of actual disassembly and investigation work conducted on power supply units and other electrical equipment, such as capacitors attached to power supply units, etc.