Document Rj3ann43Lz93V29eaNLMqprya

Time. Oytober 11, 1971 The Menace of PCB Environmentalists were confident that they had ferreted out the nation's ma jor pollutants after they put the linger on substances like DDT. mercury, lead and phosphates. Now an important new comer has cropped tip in the form of polychlorinated biphenyls (pens), col orless. odorless, syrupy chemicals that are manufactured in the VS, under the trade name Aroclor by the Mon- fish-meal plant whet^PCBi wbre leak | For all the rim warning signs, there ing from a pfpe"1n a heating system is as yet no proof that PCBS at present into the meal. Officials were disnih low levels are harmful to humans. Most to learn that the leak had gone scientists, and critics like Congressman discovered for nearly two months an \Ryan. however, feel that the safest course that 13,000 tons of tainted feed had is to treat PCBs just as though they been sent to 64 customers in twelve were the most potent of pollutants, un Southern and Midwestern slates. i til tests determine exactly what the long Ryan was furious. "The Federal Gov , term bffeejs may be. ernment's actions are inexcusable." he said. "This entire incident could have sanlo Co. Until recently, PCBs were been prevented if the Department of Ag used in industry in many ways, for in riculture and the Food and Drug Ad stance as soltencrs in plastics, paints and rubber, ns additives in printing inks and papers. Although they arc ministration had lived up to their responsibilities to protect the public." He then introduced legislation that ' Copied to: Cunningham now used primarily as agents in heat ex would totally ban PCBs from interstate Corey changers. there is growing evidence commerce. that alarming quantities of PCBs have Official Goof. Still, evidence of found their way into living organisms PCB pollution continued to crop up, Maaojj *Becgen and that they pose a potent new probably because markets were already p^ageorge threat to the environment. saturated with PCB products. In mid- Two years ago. New York Democratic August. FDA disclosed that it had Congressman William F. Ryan was told seized more than 75.000 fresh eggs 'Wheeled by a constituent about the dangers of from wholesalers in Norfolk. Va.. be PCB, Checking further, Ryan found cause the chickens that laid them had studies showing that large amounts of eaten feed containing the tainted fish Picket<rv Forrestal PCBs had been discovered in the fish and meal. Though the agency assured the sea birds of several countries. The stud public that no tainted food would Marsh-Brussels ies also revealed that the compounds can ienk out. it later admitted an official cause liver damage in mice and disrupt goof: a shipment of 60.000 eggs had E. John the calcium metabolism of birds, which somehow got through federal inspectors (hen lay thin-shelled eggs. Alarmed by and, presumably, into the stomachs of the findings. Ryan delivered a House Washington. D.C, residents. speech on PCBs. The Department of Ag Two weeks ago. the Department of riculture responded by halting the use of Agriculture announced that "unaccept PCBs--but only in pesticides. Then, de able levels of the poison PCB" had spite eompiainti from customers, Mon been found in turkeys processed by a santo announced that, as of September Minnesota subsidiary of Swift k Co. 1970, it would stop ules of PCHs except About 50,000 birds were voluntarily for "absolutely essential" use in electri withheld from the market while ag cal equipment. riculture experts searched for the source Polluted Poultry. To the public, how of the contamination. Around the same ever, PCB was still largely unknown time. Michigan Governor Wfflinm Mil- --until the disclosure, in December liken ordered a halt to the commercial 1970, that Campbell Soup had found sale of coho salmon after pen was high PCil levels in some New York found in salmon taken from Lake Mich Stale chickens destined for its products. igan. Last week PDA disclosed that PCBs Once notified, the New York and fed had also been found in several dif eral departments of agriculture stopped ferent kinds of dried foods, including poultry shipments from the three coun baby cereals and shredded wheat. The ties supplying Campbell and ordered PCB source has been traced to the card the burial of 146,000 contaminated board packaging material, which was birds. Where did the PCB come from? made partly of recycled PCB-treated Officials speculated that it had been copying paper. transmitted by chicken feed made from PCBs are difficult to cope with for a stale bakery goods that had been number of reasons, first of ell because wrapped in PCB-coated plastic bags. the chemicals are hard (o identify. They dm of the worst instances of PCB pol so closely resemble dot they can be dif lution occurred last spring. A North Car ferentiated only by spcctrographic anal olina poultry raiser, worried over the ysis. PCBs are long-lived and. like DDT. low hatching rate of his chickens, ran in their potency is multiplied as they work dependent tests and found that the fatty their way up the food chain. Unlike tissue of the birds contained up to 40 DDT. however, these chemicals are not p.p.nt, of PCBs (the federal limit for sprayed but gel into the environment ac poullry it 5 p.p.m.). The contamina cidentally, which makes them even hard tion was traced to a Wilmington, N.C., er to trace and control. HONS 031710 TOWOLDMONOOQ3924