Document 7Opdwv6Y4zMLrRJ9oYDppOYLR

r * \ Monsanto 650005^9 ' v V' ,TT > Mentone Cmnry 00 M. Lin4ktr|t> laeltvt St. I twit. Mmewri 63186 fkeni: 014) M4 -1000 March 3, 1969 Mr. Robert T. lnnis Westinghouse Electric Corporation F. O. Box 341 Bloomington, Indiana 47401 Dear Mr. lnnis: On February 24, the iaa Franclsco Chronicle carried a major feature about "a menancing new pollutant" found in the San Francisco Bay area. The article was based on marine life re i search carried out by Dr. Robert Risebrough of the University of California. It stated that residues of polychlorinated biphenyl (FCB) were killing certain marine birds and posed a long-term threat to humans. ' This story has caused considerable comment on the West Coast and its claims may be repeated elsewhere. As you know, Monsanto manufactures polychlorinated biphenyl and markets it under out Aroelor trade name. . We, therefore, would like to present some additional facts. * The work done by Dr. Risebrough dates back to earlier research by other scientists to analyse the amount of pesticides in wildlife, soil and water. The initial pesticide research was extremely difficult since any search to detect materials in the parts-perbillion range also brings out other "intorferring" substances. T 091767 HARTOLDMON0027419 I4 V I-.- . 2* 65.0006PJ) Several years ago. two Swedish scientists at Stockholm University's.)-' I Institution of Analytical Chemistry, Professor Gunnar Widmark * _ * and Soren Jensen, reported they had identified the other substances''* t [ which were appearing during analysis of chlorinated. pe * ti c i de 73 * i ; | dues. They said some of the materials were polychlorinated biphenyls - . t PCB. The amount reported was in the parts-per-billion range, or less. Since PCB's are not "broadcast" or spread around the land as are pesticides, the scientists theorised that the source must be the ' industrial wastes of PCB users. * , -4 , Drs Risebrough1 s more recent work reports the identification of PCB, . along with ODT.and ODE pesticides, in the tissues of birds and fish 9 on the .West'Coast. ' . r * *. . ' * * ' ' .' J;^ ,* The eonclusionsof these scientists are pussling from, several aspects. ' Polychlorinated biphenyls are stable chemical compounds which are * " ' essentially insoluble in water. Their use does not make them easily released into the natural environment. .. > . A principal market for PCB is in electrical applications where they . are ueed as insulating fluids for transformers and capacitors. Zn this use, the chemical is completely .sealedin meULcontainers^_ . Another market is for heat transfer applications where the PCB fluid . functions in a closed system. . ' PCB's are also used in several "plastic -type" applications.- .Here the `V chemical is incorporated into the polymer as an integral part of the * solid mate rial. This applies whether the polymer is used as an ' adhesive, an elastomer or a surface coating. * . The Swedish and American scientists also imply that polychlorinated biphenyls are."highly toxic" chemicals. This is simply not true. The toxicity of any material, whether it he chemicals, drugs, natural plants or even foods* is relative. Compared to the thousands of industrial chemicals and home products, PCB's are not toxic unless they are mishandled or misused. During more than thirty years of U.S. production and use, cases of any toxic effect have heen extremely rare and then only where the simple precautions recommended for use were not followed. ' ' ' 0003385 . T iwi7e>8 HARTOLDMON0027420 r>*' $..1? ;:*. . ^3000601 '. . . .. . . . * >. , . .* To our knowledge, .polychlorinatad biphenyls arc not sprayed or , ,' . dusted axrops,' woodlands or any other areas, as r pesdeides,; . . i It is, therefore, not only puzaliag, but extremely difficult'.V9.cod* , . ' j ;^ G@iv@ how commercially produced PCB can show up 'in wildlife $.' ' - _ 1 DDT and other pesticides appear to b. .This raises the'.qViestion . " whether the substance identified m the Swedish work, and how in . ` , V. California, is actually PCB -- or whether they are materials which, * . ' due.to the metabolism of other materials in the marine environment, . o .' appears to be PCB. .. '' Unfortunately, even though techniques for analyzing tissue samples ^have become quite precise, the ability to analyse the possible . ` ' impact of naturally occurring substances in the. food cycle of living organisms has not made comparable advance!. ' ' ' .` `.. V. - ' Monsanto has a research prog*a33P;t confirm the identity of the pompounds .reported to be PCB by the Swedish and California scientists. We also cooperate, on a regular basis, with federal, state and university laboratories in their analysis of chlorinated * hydrocarbon residues. ' ` Additionally, Monsanto will continue to exercise the highest degree of control in its manufacturing, shipping and storage of PCB -- as " w@ do with all products, la the functional fluids market, we have carried out a program for several years for the reclamation of used PCB'a to avoid disposal of the at valuable materials. The source of the marine life residue identifiid aa.PCB is not yet known. It will take extensive research, on a worldwide basis, to confirm or deny the initial scientific conclusion!. We will keep you idvised of our own research and are available to answer questions as thoy may arise. Very truly yours, /ecd fiO003386 Elmer P. Wheeler Manager Environmental Health T 091769 HARTOLDMON0027421