Document K63oXp0ax8z2LgeMLY2GDjMgN
5/26/78
FVI:
K. E. Bouma Cl
.Johnson E. T. Mollica J. C. Weber D. Wood
FHOM: G. F. Barton
NN 30 1978
I). 30.500 APR 2 1 1970 fiU.
) PCB Breaks.hrough Seen .
1,1 ' '
.
. At the same time thui stale officials
1 warned today of ratrpJ?hcboygan
Htver fiJi (ch fear Of l'?* rnnlnmtn.**-
' non. there was hope that Canadian
remnrdiers may h.\v found a way of
getting rid of the dreaded chemical.
According lo Thomas Sheffy of the
* lNK hazardous drugs surveillance
fw-rtion at Mtcl'vrvn, Ciundian scieoi-
Ifc);. i> iv. dj'V l' pcO ,i I>.n li i *.i 1 hpi
* Coin new. I'CMs (polychlorinated
biphenyls) h.i\v Iwvn regarded a non-
htodi'prflduWe *tibM.>ce. 7hev don't
bruik down in water or imdcr any mil
or.il conditions. Rather they stay
around for decuries.
1 hat qualify was the very reason
why industry found I'CBs to tlicir lik
ing. You can't hum or diswJve them.
They resist ht and acids.
^
PCBs. developed by the Mansauto
f/njjranj'. were list'd from l45fl ItiTlHtMi
">*-tori' dolr lorious effects were dtsenv-
ered. Now there in nmccni nationwide
. that the suNuiiccs haw saturated tiie
J .environment and may he capable of
k .i-\ -
w'*.*.-.*
causing acne, stomach disorders and
toss of hair.
The warning against eating Sheboy
gan River fish, recently ioum) t la*
the mo.t highly PCf. root i-'umied
fish found in Wisconsin wuiers. spo-
riftcally advises that l.irt.mng moth
ers, expectant mothers, females who
anticipate bearing children, and Chil
dren le*. 1 v !i SIN
. f y. >. -I ,.1
those iish.
Il recommends that m.tv.rh cut
more than (.r in<vl or <>: hilt pound
ot this tish p i wivi.
.
I't'Ps have hex it if>ed m m-n-ul.K-
tuie trails lot met s and rap-< hois. At
Hudson I oils, N.Y.. where a fi. ri mo-
nut;'fure> these problem-., iVv've
found high IK I'. rumeitlraiKvi in fi>l
The nunt-meik rher.ir.rtl (.nphunt]
had luvn OM-d in olectno 1 ir nr'. in
SMtofion. p);isitnzers.
n>old-
ing woy.*s aiut varir*\ r.i nxm ioiK
unlit 1ft' 1 v. hen Ihe federal gevet n-
itH'ui n -u m Uxi ill. ii e-A
. : ...
(Miners tore; ,w <.*( eyjymiH'
Rut by that time, millions ---of pounds of |*t`Bs had been
..i
released to nature. Along tlie Sheboygan Rivet.
JPCbs were used (oi many .yours by die-cast foundarics
and In hydtaultc fluids for j die-cast molds.
Hopefully, the Canadian ' discovery of a bacteria that can break down PChs will
.lead to the development of a substance to treat ICR rnnta-
' minated waters, according to
iSbeffy.
s
I The bacteria^ tasbecn ablet
to brgnk dpwn 1*01 enntamfml ion mi sewage sludge u-n it
his polyol heeM..apWe<l t.y g
natural^ siluation,. fjv.ic.li a', ft. ylnt.e nr Myei, Stu-tfy sold t "We hope they're no the
WTge oT (kpelojung a pm/tMil