Document 15pqYXpzdNmv5d9poLqxGXg65

John Nason - Brussels March 9, 1972 Mr. W. R. Coray, ST. LOUIS. HMara. 8.S. Bargan - St, Loula Warah Brussels Jf.B, Papagoorgo - St. Loui3 Tha attachad nano fron our public ralmtiona nan in London rafara to an articla which ia baing publiahad in SURQFBAN CHEMICAL NEWS thia week. . Aa you will not a, thura ara tha uaual nunbar of inaccuracies and mis-statements, but wa hava baan unabla to obtain any furthar modif 1cat ion*. Tha atory aa it atanda ia not unfavorabla to Monsanto, but I expect wo ahall aaa a somewhat emotional reaction from Bayer and aayba some other Suropean produqare. JM/ab Bno. , John Maaon MOMS 206921 Monsanto tHtM ft TO - Steve Chantrell - Public Relations - London March 7, 1972 ECN PCB article SC/cw P.J.A. Marsh - Brussels J. Mason - Brussels * ,1 // Following my talk with an ECN journalist the following article will appear in European Chemical News on Friday (March 10). Headline : "Bayer develops PCB substitutes" Story : "Bayer has decided to discontinue the production and sale of PCB for use in unsealed systems - that is* plasticisers - after substitute products developed have been evaluated by interested parties. "Substitute products developed by Bayer for these plasticiser applications are known as Leromoll experimental products 2279 and 2280 and are now available for evaluation by interested parties. They are mixtures of entirely synthetic alifatic ? and aromatic hydrocarbons of medium molecular weight and have similar persistence, compatibility tqthe Clophen products. The substitutes are used for the production of chemical resistant paints, sealing compositions, adhesives and printing inks. Biological effects of PCB products have been causing anxiety for some time now as a consequence of their accumulating in animal tissue. Monsanto took the lead in discontinuing sales in non-controllable applications When it announced to its customers that such sales in the UK would stop with effect from March 1, 1971. These sales were for applications in paints, lacquers and oil additives and are believed to amount for about half Monsanto's total PCB sales. Sales for applications in fire resistant hydraulic fluids where the uses of PCB cannot be strictly controlled have been reformulated, for example by phosphate esters in the Pydraul series. HONS 206922 T P.J.A. Marsh March 7, 1972 jj. Mason___________________________ ___ ______________________________ -2 - In the area of heat transfer fluids, Monsanto has replaced its PCB type containing santotherm FR range with the Santotherm 55 and 66 series which do not contain PCBs. For plasticiser application replacements# Monsanto is still at the research and development stage and has simply withdrawn from this market. ( The main applications of PCB in sealed systems is i transformers and, for example, in the containers for1! fluorescent lighting tubes. * Toxicity of PCBs has been shown to be principally due to the presence of impurities such as chlorinated di-benzo suran products. With Bayers Chophen A60 and a competitive product Phenochlor DP6 being particularly toxic because of the presence of such impurities. Monsanto's Paraclor (sic) 1260 now withdrawn was favourable in these comparative tests although 60% of all PCB product was shown to contain these highly toxic impurities. Other European producers are Prodelec in France, Flix in Spain. Eastern bloc production is reported in the USSR and Czechoslovakia. The United States and Japan make up most of the other world capacity. *t It is not known hew the UK and Germany,for example, propose i to prevent non-indigenous producers from taking up markets left by Monsanto and Bayer but presumably this could take it i the form of a special duty or special legislation if the "gentleman's agreement" is broken. PCB producers have taken the lead in this problem but now i the collaboration of the consumers is needed. The concept * of a persistent material is itself contrary to environment al considerations and replacements not containing chlorine may only disguise the problem." . J <* ti c f I l l 4 KONS 206923 r. I, Y"