Document LXKZB4gb88wq0YD5EwJ2g7qz

A*rl 21. 1921 CHEMICAL WEEK Pollution cop's lot not 'appy Despite complaints from government and customers, Monsanto is pushing ahead with $2-millk>n plan to curb pollution by PCS William Papageorge, manager of en vironmental control for Monsanto's or ganic chemicals division, is in a spot few would envy. He has the ticklish job of guiding the oompany's $2-million re search and control program aimed at hailing pollution of the environment by its polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The trouble is, the government doesn't think the program goes far enough--but some of Monsanto's PCB customers (who have been asked to pitch in and help) think the company has overreacted. Despite the headaches, Monsanto is pushing abend with its program, which has four main objectives: (I) eliminat ing open-system applications of PCBs, such as in coatings and plasticizers; (2) controlling spillage or other loss from closed-iyMem operations; (3) devel oping a lam-persistent type of PCB; (4) eliminating loss or contamination dur ing manufacture. Latest step: next month at Mon santo's Sauget, 111., plant a new, $500,000 mdnerator will begin com plete destruction of more than 500,000 lbs. of contaminated Arodor, the com pany's tradename for PCB used as an insulating and heat-transfer fluid. The material, recalled from customers, is now being stored in several 10,000-gal. tanks at the plant. Sola Supplier: As the lone U.S. man ufacturer of PCBs (at Anniston, Ala., as well as Sauget), Monsanto was the only company that had to respond to evi dence presented early in TO that them materials are in dm family of persistant chlorinated hydrocarbons that build up in animals and aflbet tbair reproductive cyder. (Among other things, PCBs were linked with thinning of peregrine falcon eggshells.) Papageorge says; "We don't know how serious a hazard PCB is to the envi ronment-no one really does." But he adds that the company recognizes that PCBs ere turning up in the environment and has derided to do something about it. Long Hletory. PCBs were originated by Swan Chemical in '29 in response to the electrical industry's need for an explosionproof insulating fluid for trans formers. Mineral oils (still used in more than 83% of electrical insulating appli cations) have a stability problem that makes them potentially hazardous. Power surges in electrical equipment causes arcs-and enough of them can vaporize mineral oil so that the next are can ignite the vapor. It's not a big risk, but it is enough to warrant uae of stable PCBs (which cun withstand tempera tures up to 1,600 F) in substations lo cated in populated areas and around ex pensive industrial equipment. Monsanto, which makes biphenyls as a basic commodity, took over Swan in the eariy '30a, now ia sole supplier for the U.S., England and Canada. PCBs are abo made in France, Germany, Italy. Japan and the Soviet Union. Soon after Monsanto took over, new applications opened up for PCBs as in dustrial heat-transfer media. The next major push for aew markets was in *60, when a Monsanto technical bulletin was published to promote the use of PCBs in sealants, chlorinated rubber, adhe sives, printing inks and insecticides. The insecticide uae has drawn Are in recent years, but Monsanto says the U.S. Agriculture Dept originally sug gested that PCBs could be used to ex tend the Ufa of some pesticides if added as inert material. Pulling out of the open-eystem mar ket does not appear to be a big km for PCBs. Some 200,000 lbs. of material destined for such use has been bought back by the company, will be shipped for uae in dosed systems. As a service to former open-system customers, Mon santo has prepared a list of suggested replacements for PCBs in adhesives and coatings--some more expensive, some cheaper. The PCB insulator market, though limited, seems secure. But as heat-transfer media, PCBs are being challenged by several new competitors, who are stressing environmental ufety (set, p. 39). Early Coneera: The Ant signs of trouble for PCBs turned up in '66, when a Swedish biologist. Soien Jensen, iden tified these materials in the bodies of Ash. In '68 Monsanto began studying the Swedish work. One problem: separating PCB from the other chlorinated hydro carbons like DDT and DDE that were known to be prevalent in the environ ment. To identify PCB (present m parts per billion quantities) gas chroma tography. electron capture and mew spectrophotometry methods had to be refined. Plant Practice: Moasanto't PCS manufacturing operations have ex perienced an equal tightening of stan dards. "You get s feeling of bone dry ness in the plant." says Papageorge "There is hone of the hosing down you And in most chemical plants." Other measures include complete monitoring of all vents and traps for leaks at all sample points. All tanks are "buttoned up" so that operators don't have to look in. And all of the air and gas that escapes the plant is pased through a Brink mist eliminator, la ad dition, process temperatures ware low ered to prevent vaporization. Monsanto even provides dashing for all the workers, and after the clothes arc cleaned all the cleaning fluid is col lected for destruction to the incinerator. For PCBs used in capacitors, the little boxes on poles that boost electrical power, Monsanto is installing a dis tillation column, scheduled to go on stream in June, to produce a PCB with out the persistent isomers. The material can than ba further chlorinated for transformer use. The problem with ca pacitors is that they are small, hard to collect iftei they have been replaced. They could easily end up in a land (III, crushed so that the malarial inside leaks onto the ground. Seeking SnboUtutoa: Monsanto ad mits to looking for some substitutes for PCB. What the company has primarily gained from the PCB furor was an awarenem that it must test all new prod uct* for environmental effects. "We don't yet know what tests wilt be required, what data will be acceptable, or even what animals to test on," says Papageorge. "but we have worked out e checklist approach for ell new chem icals. We hope we'll be batting 1.000 when the federal government details its toxic substances ml" Meanwhile, Monsanto feels it is well on its wny to providing an effective pro gram fot controlling PCB. It still ques tions some of the identification proce dures under which PCB has been indicted. But the company is betting that cloving the open-system market will end the threat. *0NS 076048 1 BAD NEWS FROM GRACE CANTEEN WILL BE DISCONTINUING PEPSONAL1ZED SERVICE ON THE 12-8:00 A.M. SHIFT, BEGINNING SATURDAY, MAY 1. VENDED PRODUCTS ARE TO BE EXPANDED, AND A MICRO-WAVE 'ZAP' OVEN WILL BE PROVIDED. ALSO, CANTEEN PRICES WILL BE GOING UP, AS FOLLOWS: CANNED SOUP, FROM 20* TO 2S* CHILE, FROM 30* TO 35* HOT CANNED FOODS, FROM 30* TO 35* EFFECTIVE MONDAY, MAY 3: WGK WILL BE CHARGING A SALES TAX OF 4* ON THE DOLLAR ON FOOD PURCHASED ON THE CAFETERIA LINE. (THIS HAD PRE VIOUSLY BEEN PAID BY THE COMPANY.) NORMAL SALES TAX IN ILLINOIS IS 5*, BUT YOU GET AWAY A PENNY CHEAPER BECAUSE THE CAFETERIA IS NOT CHARGED A MINICIPAL TAX. YOUR SLIP ISN'T SHOWING SOME OF THE CREDIT UNION ACCOUNT VERIFICATION SLIPS SENT OUT TO MEMBERS RECENTLY HAVE NOT SHOWN UP BACK AT THE CREDIT UNTON OFFICE. IF YOUR SLIP ISN'T SHOWING, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE...THE CREDIT UNION MUST HAVE THESE VERIFICATION SLIPS RETURNED. FIND YOURS, MAKE SURE YOUR ACCOUNT IS CORRECT, AND GET THE SLIP BACK TO THE CREDIT UNION, PRONTO.' YOUR SYMPATHY IS APPRECIATED --EUNICE BRADLEY 8 FAMILY. --THE BLEVINS FAMILY. --MR. & MRS. LEROY HOWELL, SR. f, FAMILY. 7-YEAR RECORD ENDS THF. SEATTLE PLANT ON APRIL 9, ENDED A RECORD OF 7 YEARS WITHOUT A DIS ABLING INJURY. THE INCIDENT WHICH BROUGHT THEIR RECORD TO A CLOSE WAS OUITE UNUSUAL: AN EMPLOYE SUFFERED A SMALL CUT ON HIS THUMB WHILE CHANGING A CHART ON AN INSTRUMENT. THE WOUND WAS PPOPEPLY CARED FOR, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, A SERIOUS INFECTION OCCURRED. AS A RESULT OF THE INFECTION, THE EMPLOYE MISSED FOUR DAYS OF WORK, AND AN INJURY AT FIRST NOT EVEN CLASSIFIED AS "SERIOUS" WENT INTO THE "DISABLING" CATEGORY. THE MESSAGE FOR ALL OF US HFPE IS PLAIN: WE CAN NEVER TELL WHEN A MINOR INJURY MIGHT BECOME MAJOR... WE GOTTA AVOID ALL TYPES OF INJURIES! WEATHER & STOCK CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY AND MILD THROUGH FRIDAY. HIGH TODAY AND TOMOR ROW IN THE MID TO UPPER 60'S. LOW TONIGHT 45. MONSANTO STOCK OPENED: 45-7/8 MARKET DOWN 49* ABOUT OUR BACKSIDE... REPRINTED ON THE BACK PAGE OF THIS PUBLICATION IS AN EXCEPPT FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE APRIL 21 ISSUE OF CHEMICAL WEEK MAGAZINE CONCERN ING MONSANTO'S PCB/ENVIPONMENTAI. PROBLEM, AND THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE MADE TOWARD SOLVING> IT. THE ARTICLE IS INTERESTING, AND KPUMMRICH IS CONCERNED...HAVE A LOOK! MONS 0 7 6 0 4 9