The experience of A.C.E.A. (Azienda Comunale Energia ed Ambiente) in the achievement of screening about electric transformers contaminated by PCB´s

In this work the results of a recent screening performed on ~10,000 (about ten thousand) electric transformers working in the city of Rome, are presented. The 12% of transformers were found to be contaminated by PCB´s ranging from 50,000 to 50 mg/kg. Some conclusions are reported about the probable contamination mechanism operating until a few years ago, before the dangerous nature of the PCB´s molecules was proved. The decontamination program established by the ACEA´s management, is also reported with the indications of the technologically available solutions adopted in order to remove all the PCB at the moment present in ACEA´s plants