Transformer oil can be directly decontaminated from PCB residues by direct treatment with metallic Ca and an alcoholic mixture, offering the possibility to recycle this product. The procedure, consisting in mixing, stirring and separating, is simple and effective. The hydrodechlorination yield is 99.6%, the remaining chlorobiphenyl belonging to the almost non-toxic family of ortho-monochloro- and ortho-dichlorobiphenyl. Low miscibility problems were overcome, using a mixture of ethanol and isopropanol. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.