A substance that endangers people’s health and also contaminates the environment remains silently present in many cities in Brazil. Polychlorated biphenyl (PCB), also called Ascarel, was used by the industry in equipment as an electrical insulator.
Because it is an oily liquid that has among its properties the absorption of heat and even bactericidal effects, the PCB was widely used in the constitution of equipment, such as energy transmitters. With the advance of science, it was proven that the Its use is not safe.
On this National Day to Combat Pollution (14), The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) announced an investment of R $ 30 million in financial support for safe elimination of contaminated equipment. The funds will finance the service of licensed companies to treat and give the proper destination to the substance.
According to MMA Environmental Quality Director, Thaiane Resende, polychlorate biphenyls are highly toxic and classified as Persistent Organic Policy (POP). For this reason, they were banned worldwide by the Stockholm Convention.
“They represent a threat to the environment and human health, which can cause disease such as cancer, neurological problems, hormonal disorders and fetal malformation,” warns Thaiane Resende.
In addition to being a signatory to the Stockholm Convention, which is an international treaty to protect human health and the environment of harmful chemicals, Brazil also has legislation which establishes deadlines and obligations for the elimination of polychlorate biphenyl.
Destination
Thaiane Resende explains that The difficulty lies in the destination of contaminated equipment, which may be in companies and institutions in the electricity, industry, commerce and even the public sector.
“According to the report of holders of the National PCB Inventory (Sinir/PCB), in July 2025, Brazil still has over 500 thousand tons of material contaminated with PCBs to allocate,” says the director.
The data refer to the contamination identification phase, which by the Stockholm Convention should be held until November 2024. The deadline for the elimination of the substance in an environmentally appropriate manner goes until 2028.
To assist managers and entrepreneurs to identify and give the correct destination to contaminated equipment, the MMA created the Responsible PCB Projectwhich provides on the Internet all the necessary information on how to proceed after identifying the presence of the substance.
“Within this page are listed the licensed and project destination companies that can make the proper elimination of equipment and waste contaminated with PCBs,” explains the manager.
Financial support
After identification and registration in the National PCB Inventory, companies and institutions that have contaminated equipment should contact directly with one of the PCBS Proceedings Companies licensed and prepare the necessary documentation.
According to MMA, will be paid from R $ 1,200 to R $ 3.2 thousand per ton of contaminated material, according to the region of treatment and collection of equipment. “Thus, the company maintains legal compliance, avoiding penalties and strengthening its social and environmental responsibility,” concludes Thaiane Resende.
