The issue of PCBs is increasing in Indonesia and makes the government worried. The National Motto "Indonesia Free of PCBs 2028" in the field is not easy to realize. The results of the PCBs Inventory conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the period 2015-2016 show very different facts.

Handling of PCBs in Indonesia can be easily done for the following reasons:
1. PCBs have been banned globally since 1977
2. Commercial storage of PCBs oil in Transformers was only permitted until 1979
3. Indonesia did not produce transformer oil before 1970 locally
4. Transformer oil registered with PCBs can be replaced with other alternatives since 1980

If these 4 things are met, Transformers produced after 1979 should no longer contain PCBs.

Transformers in Indonesia that were produced before 1979 and are indicated to contain PCBs are still widely found and operating. As for the transformers produced in 2010, they were found to be contaminated with PCBs. How could the transformers be contaminated?

Cross-contamination of PCBs is the contamination of transformer oil that is clean from PCBs, becoming contaminated with PCBs. This occurs due to routine maintenance of oil and/or transformers that does not comply with PCB management provisions. What can cause cross-contamination?

1. The transfer or rotation of oil from one transformer to another

2. Carrying out routine oil maintenance using certain tools such as BDV (Breakdown Voltage), DGA (Dissolve Gas Analysis) and WC (Water Content), which have not been proven to be clean from PCBs

Business actors who own transformers must have an active role in breaking the chain of PCB cross-contamination. This aims to prevent the increase in costs in the management and destruction of PCBs and also make it easier for Indonesia to be free from PCB contamination.

Therefore, to prevent cross-contamination of PCBs, business actors can monitor transformers as follows:

1. Immediately conduct an inventory and identification of PCBs on the transformer units used
2. Stop the habit of rotating oil from one transformer to another without carrying out PCB testing procedures
3. Create an SOP for transformer oil maintenance
4. If the company is still going to use third-party transformer oil maintenance services, make sure the party understands and implements the SOP properly

Article source:
https://ecoverse.id/kontaminasi-silang-pcbs-beban-ekonomi-serta-tantangan-bagi-pemerintah-dan-perusahaan/

Documentation source:
1. http://perpustakaan.menlhk.go.id/pustaka/images/docs/Indonesia%20Bebas%20PCB%20Lindungi%20Masyarakat%20Indonesia.pdf

2. https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkas:Lambang_Kementerian_Environmental_Hidup_dan_Kehutanan.png

3. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/toxic-legacy-of-pcbs-in-bloomington/

4. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/polson03.pdf

5. https://newbedfordlight.org/despite-pcb-warnings-many-still-catch-and-eat-fish-from-new-bedford-harbor/ (Adam Goldstein / The New Bedford Light)