Document D4wvp17x7v3BzMZEzYYJYvEQ

WALK THROUGH SURVEY Monsanto Company Polychlorinated Biphenyl Operations W.C. Kruwnrich Plant Sauget, Illinois SURVEY DATE November 22, 1974 SURVEY CONDUCTED AND REPORT WRITTEN BY Jims H. Jonas DATE OF REPORT February 6, 1975 Environmental Investigations Branch Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations National Institute for Occupational Safety end Health Cincinnati, Ohio MONS 050544 PLACE VISITED! DATE OF VISIT: PERSONS MAKIXC VISIT: PERSONS CONTACTED: PURPOSE OF VISIT: * 1 Monsanto Company Sauget, Illinois November 22, 1974 NIOSIt DFSCI Janes H. Jones Dave Bayllss Richard Leman Region VII Ralph J. Blcknell CDC "6r. Clark Neath Dr. Renatta Kimbrough Mr. William C. Engman, Section Engineer. Krunmerich Plant Mr. Art Lelsy. Manufacturing Super intendant. Krummerlch Plant Dr. Emet Kelley. Medical Director Dr. Elmer Wheeler. Chief. Environmental Program Dr. George Levlnskaa. Toxicologist Mr. George Brett. Manufacturing Super intendent Mr. Bill Pepageorge, Product Development Mr, Cuy Forth, Engineering Mr. Cary Johnson, Foreman, PCB Area To observe the manufacture of poly chlorinated biphenyls. HONS 050545 INIREDUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF PUNT Due to findings In recent yaars of poaaibla harmful affects of poly- Chlorlnstcd biphenyls (PCS'*), the Dlvlelon of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations of the Notional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) decided to look at facilities manufacturing PCD's. The main pur pose is to determine if a population exists for which It would be feasible to conduct a retrospective mortality study. ' On November 22, 1974, James Jones, Richard Leman, Dave Bayllss and Ralph Blcknell met with CDC and Honsanto officials at Monsanto World Headquarters In St. Louis, Missouri, Results of recent CDC toxicological work showing tha possibility of PCS being a carcinogen ware dlscusssd. Later, James Jones and Ralph Blcknell conducted a walk-through survey of the PCB pro duction area at Monsanto's W.C, Krumnrlch plant In Sauget, Illinois. This plant la the only manufacturer of FCB's In the United States at the present time. Other products produced at this plant includa: sulfuric acid, benzene and benzene derivatives (primarily chlorinated and nitrated derivatives), rubber chemicals (antioxidants, etc.), ACL (activated chlorine), and phosphorus products. PCB's have been produced at the plant since approximately 1929. Production reached a peak in 1970 when Monsanto voluntarily began restricting sales of FCB's to those uses in closed systems. Since 1971 the domestic uses of PCB's have been restricted to transformer oils and capacitor fluids. The PCB area Is operated 24 hours a day with aoma operations S dsys a week and some 7 days a week. The entire workforce of this plant Is approximately 1300 persons with 15 to 20 of those persons being involved with PCB production. Production workers are members of the International Chemical Workers Local 12. MEDICAL, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND SAFETY PROGRAMS This facility has an lnplant dispensary with nurses on duty 24 hours a day and a physician present days. Pre-employment physical examinations are required of each employee. Periodic examinations are also required of employees involved In certain operations. The safety department consists of a director and 3 assistants. Six people assigned to environmental problems work In conjunction with the safety department. Safety Information Is disseminated through safety committees In the various areas and monthly safety meetings. There is a safety review of new projects before they are started. Personal protection programs in clude use of safety glasses, safety shoes, and hardhats In operations areas HONS 050546 Industrial hygiene activities are carried out by the safety end environ mental groups with assistance from corporate level Industrial hygienists DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS Two products are nude In the PCS area; Arochlor 1016 and Arochlor 1254. Both processes begin with biphenyl shipped In by tank cars from Monsanto's Anniston, Alabama plant. The biphenyl Is first transferred to a storage tenk and from there to either the 1016 or 1254 chlorlnatore. The product from the 1254 chlorlnators la sent to storage and then shipped out In tank cars or drums. The output from the 1016 chlorlnators Is put In lntermedlat storage and then sent to a distillation column. From there It goes to storage and then Is shipped out. . This Is theoretically a closed process except for sampling ports where operators take various samples for specific gravity, purity, etc. Several of these sampling ports leaked and had plastic buckets underneath to catch the leaks. The process Is outdoors, so very low concentrations of PCB would be expected. The water effluent Is contlnuslly tested and concentra tions of PCB in the effluent were generally a few parts per billion. SUMMARY From the observations made during this visit it would appesr that PCB concentrations In air would be very low. The operators spend approximately 50X of their time in a control room which should have even lower concen trations. Employee turnover In the PCB area has been low. Plant per sonnel estimated that only 100 persons had been Involved directly with PCB production since Its beginning at the plant. However, an additional group who are likely to have been exposed are the plant maintenance people who repair and maintain production equipment. Because of the snail number of people exposed and the small likelihood of production expansion I believe It would be of marginal usefullness to do further studies of this process. HONS 050547