Document 9rYpdkz1L3rm6pmYM4rNEED3

1512 CHEMICAL WEEK WKW. 03,000 SEP i top ofthenews Closer look at PCBs Investigations into contamination from polychlorinated btphenyls-whose pro duction may be banned by law-contin ued on several fronts last week. Monsanto says it has undertaken an in tiou.se healthlfu3y of workers exposed to PCBs. Monsanto epidemiologists report preliminary evidence of seven cases of lung cancer among the SO deceased work ers included in a study of about 300 workers exposed to PCBs. In contrast. National Cancer Institute data indicate lhal 2.7 deaths out of SO are normally caused by lung cancer. But company officials emphasise (hat the evidence is only preliminary and that further research is under way to deter mine whether the cancer was related to nonworkplace exposures, such as to bacco. Earlier. Mobil Oil reported seven cases of cancer (including two deaths) among 129 workers who had been exposed to PCBs at its Paulsboro. NJ.. refinery (OK Stpt. 1. p. /.I). Monsanto's Sauget. III., plant is the ole PCB manufacturing facility in the U.S. Estimated 1976 production is 24 mil lion tbs., well below previous annual av erages of about 40 million lbs. South Carolina Studied: The Environ mental Protection Agency and South Carolina environmental officials have found levels of PCBs in fish in some areas of Pickens County, South Carolina, rang ing from 0.1 to 110 parts per million. This compares with the Food and Drug Ad ministration's recommended safety level of 5 ppm. for fish and shellfish. So the agencies have advised temporarily against eating fish taken from the South Carolina portion of Lake Hartwell. The state has been conducting a widespread effort to determine what waters contain the compound. One "positive source" already identi fied by the agencies is Sangamo Capaci tor (Pickens. S.C.). a division of Schlumberger subsidiary Sangamo-Weston (Springfield. III.). EPA's Atlanta division notes that recent tests indicated sediment in the first of two treatment lagoons at Sangamo Capacitor's plant contained 200 ppm. of PCBs and is considered the source of the 5-parts-per-billion PCB dis charges in the plant's effluent. The agency has asked Sangamo to bypass the first la goon immediately. EPA says it knew of the amounts in the effluent, but no action was taken against the Pickens plant because the company had taken measures in 1970-1971 to seal off the PCB operation and because the firm is in the process of replacing the first lagoon. In addition, three other probable sources are dumps near the lake that were once used by the firm for disposing of materials containing PCBs. Sangamo Ca pacitor declined to comment. Mothers* Milk Analysed: An EPAsponsored survey showed samples of the fat content of mothers' milk taken in 10 states were recorded with traces of PCBs averaging about 2.1 ppm. While this is below the 2.5-ppm. provisional tolerance level set by FDA for PCB content in the fat in whole milk sold in grocery stores, health officials are concerned. The agency is expected to present results of a nation wide survey by year's end. Two weeks ago the House of Repre sentatives approved a toxic substances control bill carrying an amendment that would phase out PCB production within three years. MONS 03?ii4