Document 15eLeL0dkmoybdgLB8M2zxMao

1 I'll V f* I- ' Wo recently cent you a translation of a Swedish newspaper article referring to the identification in nature of polychlorinated biphenols. Because some of the uses claimed for the materials febl in line with the usos of our ov/n chlorinated diphenyls, we made a point, during cur recent visit,to Sweden, of visiting the research institute involved and discussing their particular programme of work. To eliminate any earlier couusjj?fl_J:hat there may have been,. I^houlcT T i E e rcT~embHasise that there is no.'doubt tHajTtho cfiSTiucai which is the subject of the investigation anfl tfra news release, is chiolciheTtea-ciiphcnyl i.e. Aroclor. . The company that supplied the mass spectrometer which was used in the research programme, ir. fact have recently put' out a press release on this work. Although I am horrified by some cf the headlines ir, this .lease, it does basically describe the research programme carried out in Sweden, and describes in clear terms how chlorinated diphenyls were identified, I therefore, enclose a copy for your files. Jensens only aim in life as an analytical chemist, was to identify the substances found in his research work on the occurrence of insecticides in nature. The unfortunate*aspect of the situation is the comments which have been added to Jensens work. Ho showed what was present and unqualified people have made statements as to the possible effect of v/hat he has found. Summarising the publication position, there v/ero original articles covering the Stockholm conference in the Swedish daily press, and those reports wore picked up also by the Danish press. You will have seen from D.V.N. Hardy*s memo of the 12th January : that it has also been p i c k e d `up by the Shell Chemicals Laboratory in Kent, U.K. Jenson also divulged that ho had been contacted by the Swedish American pro3 0 agency who intended to include information about this research work in their monthly review "The Sv/cciish American Journal" . There is additionallythe press review issued by LKB Broductor AI3 v;Vich I imagine to have boon sent to .a number of technical journals. NEV 031069 780607 J if G. R. Buchanan St. Iouic - 2- 26th January, 1967 Effect in Sweelon This matter was raised with uc by every capacitor manufacturer in Sweden that we visited. Fortunately there has not been too much adverse comment ao yet from plant workers since ; they have not associated the polychlorinated biphenols mentioned . in the article with Aroclor or Pyralenc used in the Swedish factories. Jensen, however, stated that he had been approached : personally by^evh~ral_;qrker-a..associated_with,chlorinated diphenyls' or non~e.lectrical uses and these workers w ere_guito worrxHcT^ro'to the pos'sTble eff'Ctrn'A~thVr"heaitti. ^ Future Research Arrangements are being made in Sweden for this work to be taken over by one of the medical institutes who hope to study the toxicology of the poloychlorinated diphenyl residues a.t the levels of concentration found by Jensen. Additionally a geographical survey is to be carried out to try and determine where the highest concentrations of residue: arc appearing' and, if possible, to detect from this the method of escape ro that more srnr\fty precaution:; can b cakvn. Vie were asked by Jensen if it was possible for Monsanto to supply any samples of the pure isomers of chlorinated diphenyl since his work indicated at the moment that the lower chlorinated isomers are fairly easily metabolised, and the potentially more dangerous constituents arc the more highly chlorinated membera. If he can get hold of pure isomers, ho would like to carry out some work on comparitive rates of metabolisation. Jensen is forwarding me copies of his mass spectrographs and details of cample preparation so that wa have all the details of liis research work. The point that I have >.de to Jensen is the need for'care in any further publicatii .. of his work which is made. He accepts that the toxicology oi chlorinated diphenyls should only be discussed with detailed information about exposure concentrations and exposure times and that generalised statements out of context can only arouso undue public concern. If any technical journal takes up the press release from the LICE Froductor Company, there ic little that Monsanto could, or should dot in the way of publishing rebuttal!?. Wo do not want, personally as Monsanto to yet too involved in thin question. I aiu hopeful that wo NtV 031070 9*M** A .w ; / 780608 G R. Buchanan St. Louis 3 26th January, 1967 might persuade Jensen himself to write a letter defining the true extent of his ov;n research work and placing hin results in their proper perspective. It would certainly bo helpful in gaining his further support if we were able to make available to him any small quantities of pure isomers. Since we are not alone in supplying polychlorinated diphenyls to the Scandinavian market, I have drawn this matter to the attention of the other askarel manufacturers in Europe. As you will see from the press release one of the major points that is made is the difficulty in disposing of waste chlorinated diphenyls and again I must mention that constructive recommendations for the safe disposal of our materials would be most helpful# ; . . i.i *.i V ts NEV 031071 780609 CHtMEMUTOR . . . f A i 1 i i 'V / ./ * Coiuirvalloiilxls have another chemical to worry about, nm- that nppnn-. u- .uxmnnl.iif:* i)t fish. bird.*:, miimals ami pi'npli* inucti liLr DOT. Called iip}i*tiyl (TC.'ll) fit Sweden where Its presence In nature was fits! discovered, the ehemieal Is known ns chlorinated hiplienyl In the U.S. Though nn( made In Sweden, the chemical Is used worldwide ill transformer nils, lubricants, paints and solvents, A Swedish scientist says PCB first hppenrs !n musmm-prcscrvrd sea cables dating from 19 M. amt that it is now present in high concentrations in fish, fish spawn, birds, seals, nnd bnman adults and children. The Swedes attribute wide spread distribution of TCfl--ft has been detected In the air of London nnd Ham. (' * burg, nnd In seals off Scotland--to air pollution resulting from industrial uses and from incineration, which docs not destroy the chemical. The extent of the hazard, if nny, is not known. And U.S. sources say they are not aware of any .such problem In this country. * /# ' " Tslio me to the moon" remains a wish In song only for mnst womm. except for iIm*du/r-n cr. ** ^ so who Joined about nine hundred men In answering the National Aeronautics' ^ and Space Administration's (NASA) IrIcsI call for scientists-astronauts ^Chrnientairr, Sept. 2&'li'SiVTv59). At the. deadline..Jan. K, only bob doctorate engineers ,, * and scientists had filed applications out of an estimated 20.009 rjunllflcd persons In the country. Engineers comprised 279 of the applicants. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will prc-scrccn the applicants for NASA, which wilt select twelve of die survivors before August 15. No estimate of the women applicants* chances of selection Is available. Evnn cs fhe United Steelworkers asked the U. S. Supreme Court to overturn tin Injunction ; that forced striking members back to wuik at Union Cnrhick- Corp.'s Kokomo, 11 M , J ' - n , ^ . ! v f a 9 j M < I* I * * | | ** M |f M m o i V W M ** W W. Va. court to set aside an unemployment compensation award to its Alloy, \V. Va.. employees. The W, Va. Dept, of Emplnniu-nt Security said on Jan. 0 that 1,060 Alloy employees were entitled to com|M>us3tum for the nearly three months the plant was shut down between July 2 and Sept. 22,1060. The National ..... Labor notations Board had branded that shutdown as an illegal lockout . * (Chcmcrifa/or, Nov, 7, 1900. p. 97). When Carbide reopened the plant tho employees struck. They arc still striking. P m tr pizTfo ji-ii 'be. s titi z i New wy ~ :r `. z\ 5ht ::t V.gS tCJtjt o c io if levels in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area--the power companies because they produce most of the pollutant, end Ncxv Jersey because It has no rules to cope with tire problem. These were among the conclusions of the lengthy N.Y.-N.J. Interstate Air Pollution Abatement Conference held in New York this month (Chcmcn/n/or, t . ' * Jan. JG, p. 82). The Conference, though recessed, technically remains in session until a permanent body is established. Among the recommendations were these: , *. *Federal representation, with ft .vote equal to the states, on the Interstate v body, Tire U.S. wants an entirely new agency, white tho conferees prefer to expand the authority of the existing Interstate Sanitation Commission. Application of New York's ambicut-air quality objectives to the entire areo. Tower plants not to burn hicl exceeding Jc/o sulfur after Oct, 1, 1969, unless tbc plants are equipped to deal adequately with SO- emissions. No new generatiiit: plants to be permitted unless a 20-yr. supply of low-sulfur fuel can be guaranteed. New sources of .SO., emission to be limited to 500 ppm., nnd existing sources limited to 2.000 ppm. NEV 0 3 1 0 7 2 -V I. ./..1 Jcnonry 33 7C67--CKciU.t Ingmeerlrq m. . __________ "-- 780610