Document O1MMrm31R7M5mrb1EXZ6zRndv

FROM <N A M E -- L O C A T I O N -- P H O N E > Dept, of Medicine & Environmental Health D A T E : December 2, 1983 SU BJEC T DIOXIN RESEARCH R EFER EN CE T O G. J. Levinskas J.H. Senger G2WG 8873 R. M. Folk - EHL F. R. Johannsen T. J. Long G. Roush, Jr. J. D. Wilson In a memo to Fred Johannsen dated November 15, you suggested comparative acute oral toxicity studies with various isomers of the dioxin family in rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc., and chloracne tests with these isomers on the rabbit ear. This was discussed at some length at the dioxin re search meeting on December 1. Tim Long was present and can brief you on this. The consensus seemed to be that this would be an interesting piece of work to have in the literature -- but it would be a substantial under taking because of the great difficulty in obtaining sufficient quantities of the 10-20 isomers which would be required and assuring that they were essentially completely pure and free of contamination by other closely related isomers. So that we will be fully aware of the cost of this experiment in advance of any approval to go ahead, the following steps were decided on: 1. Jim Wilson and Fred Hileman will provide the names of the 10-20 dioxin isomers which are most likely to occur in Monsanto products. 2. Tim, you, and other toxicologists will review this list and provide approximations of the minimum quantity of each isomer required to conduct the planned testing. 3. With this quantity information in hand, Fred Hileman will be able to approximate the cost of obtaining the necessary material. 4. In cooperation with Roger Folk, you should make appropriate contacts with outside organizations who are equipped to conduct toxicology studies of this type with dioxin. Further to the last point, the feeling at the meeting was that it was probably not desirable to alter facilities and procedures at EHL solely for the purpose of conducting one or two series of tests with dioxin. During the discussion at the meeting, it was indicated that Battelle was doing work with dioxin at a facility dedicated to the testing of chemical warfare agents. IIT was also mentioned as a possibility. These two, plus any other laboratories presently equipped to do dioxin toxicity work, need to be checked out so that we know where we can get work of this type done "on call". SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. N -in -M ( R F V 10/83* G. J. Levinskas December 2, 1983 Page 2 As for the long-discussed test concerning the bioavailability of dioxin bound to soil, this is, of course, on hold pending the location of highly contaminated soil containing ppm levels of dioxin. Apparently from Tim's comments, the NIH publication of their soil availability tests will soon be available, and this work may or may not obviate the need for any further work of this type by Monsanto. Many other aspects of dioxin not directly related to toxicology tests were also covered at the meeting. I will be glad to brief you on my viewpoints on this or to join a session with you and Tim Long. JHS:he J. H. Senger SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER,