Document MMJxMgM4d9MbaE2aD5j08BVMk

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( V \ ,s \ R OP/BO ISING & SXR AKTK1QLAG; nurwi m m wtrwoi 144a 41wgIwoI AN. to>ouj tut D: STOCKMO^M <#*. IVCAViOOl *7 November' 2 ic.; Monsanto Euroce BRUSSELS J Belgium For the attention of Mr. D. WOOD Bear David, re: AECCIORS As mentioned, there has bees seme publicity is Swedes concerning investigations made at the Institution of Analytical Chemistry at the Stockholm University. These have revealed that a group of products called r Polychlorinated 31Phenols - PCS for short - accumulated- in certala-organa or animals. They- are said to be related to DDT and equally poisonuous. The findings were discussed at a meeting of scientists at the Wenner-Gren Centre in Stockholm on November 22* Below please find a translation of an article in the Swedish daily paper "Dagens Nyheter":- "It is found in salmon and in pike. It.is found in sea eagle living on fish. It is found'.on the>surface of the needles of the fir trees, that isvjn the air. It is found in the hair Qi -a-flve moirfchs baby... The scientists working with biocides have for * 7long time seen this something as unknown "peeks? on /their gas chromatographs and at a meeting-At the Wenner- Gren Center, Research Assistant SUren 'Jensen of the Institution for Analytical Chemistry at the Stock holm University could reveal the Identity of these * peeks. It has been found that they consist of a group of poisons, Polychlorinated (for snort PCB; which are closely relatea to, and equally poisonous as, DDT. PC3 is broken down considerably slower than DDT and gives rise to damaggfaf liver and skin. PCB is not ' 185 STR 017391 r" v/ 4 hr ai^ c * tr Mi5A , Brussels - Mr. D-. W( a.i- used as & herbicide It: l.s: not; manufactured. In Sweden but Is supposed to used by the industry'to quite soae extent. No special industry can so. far be accused of b&in^ the Research Asst. S. Jensen has tested 200 fishes and a number of birds. He has taken several samples of air and has reached the conclusion BCE Is equally common In Nature as chlorinated hydrccarbons- of the type of DDT, DDE, and Lindane. Even fish in Laddjajaure in Lapland contain FC3. Mr. Jensen has. also found that ?C3 does not appear in animals -living on a vegetarian diet, such as the elk. In the course of his worlc, Mr. Jensen has not found anything indicating-.that the source of contamina tion ccmes from agricultural additives. It Is, however, obvious already now that PCS is most frequently found la organisms living la water or feeding from water animals. In all examined pikes PCS was found. In a sea eagle found dead outside Stockholm It was found that the liver contained .10jpg of mercury cer kilo. 76 mg DPP and consider ably more PC3. The exact figure has not yet been determined. FC3 is found in water and in air, and not only in the Swedish air, but also in e.g. London air. Mr. Jensen has not yet been in London for sampling but could Identify the poison by studying a gas chromatogram of air published in a British techni cal Journal. I Mr. Jensen bar also examined thebair of his family and himself and has found PCS on all samples. Most PC3 was found ia\the hair of his wife but most sensational was that the girl aged 5 months had mors PCS in her hair than her brothers and sisters of 3 and 6 years. Probably the girl had got the poison via the mother's milk. In the State Museum Mr. Jensen has examined t h e . whole collect Ion of sea eagles dating back to lSSO. By testing It could be established taat PCS was present only In birds from 19** and thereafter while birds collected before 194* were quite free from PC3. The use of PCS In Sweden Is not established in detail. According to American sources these types of products are used In the manufacture of a variety of heat- resistant materials. They are used for electrical insulation, for fire-proof heat transport in hydriulic oils, in lubricating oils used at high 186 STR 0L739Z fm i s fci G * 3 T A N * C I < * MHc, Brussels - Mr-. D-. I jc. I temperature and pressure* In paint-Sr and as- pig ments in various plastics. ?C3 is not:* imported only as such. It is also part of several finishedproducts. Nothing is known as to the way in which it reaches the water and the air. According to Mr. Jensen, products containing ?C3 should have this openly declared. PCS is equally harmful whether absorbed via the skin, through the food, or by inhalation. In con tact with the skin it can cause oedema. For DET the highest permissible concentration in the. air has been set at 0.5 - 1 mg/cu.metre. Fcr PC3 it has been mentioned to be 0.5 mg/cu.metre. Mr. Jensen will now try to get more complete analytical material. He hopes eventually to be able to disclose the source of the contamination and will also increase his cooperation with tcxccolcgists and genealogists." Another daily paper, Svenska Dagbladet, has & similar article. Here it is mentioned that Mr. Jensen,, work ing under Laborator (Professor) Gunnar Widmark, hasdisclosed fact3 which will have far-reaching- importance since the findings have proved a new source of pollu tion of the nature. One of the participants at the meeting was Dr. A.7. Holden cf Scotland, scientific contact man between the twelve a.H.C.B. countries, who has established coordinated analysis of chemicals used and found in nature. I suppose there is no doubt that what has been termed Polychlorinated Biphenyls is equal to Aroclor. There Is also no doubt that the published facts will cause considerable unrest in several quarters. We probably will have to have Aroclor registered with the Swedisn Board of Poisonous Substances and the industry will have to be particularly careful in handling the material. The problem in seme cases of course may he the disposal of used material. I understand that there hardly exists a convenient method of destroying Aroclor and that possibly burying unuse able material may be tbe only answer. We shall be glad to bear from you soon. Yours sincerely, (