Document RpkoDGaXb8VR2D9X79L9B18YV

A Leader in the Growth and Development of Florida and the South for More Than 107 Years T6LSH0.ve: Wf MI 333.1331 *** . JACKSONVILLE, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. 1972 or^ A C 35*2121 MONS 0 7 2 1 1 3 MIAMI RIVER RATED E.S. tire Sendees MIAMI The Miami River, which . >s from Lake Okecchobi rough the Everglades an-' n Biscay no Bay in downlou - Miami, had the highest < ntration of a deadly, 1m, < like compound called "!'(i: ' of any river in the nation ^ i 'tig recent tests. 1 his v.-.i. : - conclusion of a U S. Gee! t Survey study that was ; i ased Tuesday. The scicnl ' i aid aii the conlaminated v .rways in South Florida h i I i Tccntrations of PCBs well <\q (he so-called safe stamlar i set by the UJ5. Environme:;' : Protection Agency, b I ricy added that the conceit itions are de- creasing sir ilily and present no threat id present to public health. PCBS - -chlorinated hi* plicnyls -- . ;c a group of in- dustrial con. .-unds chemically similar (> ;t)T. The chemical comp - n !s have been used for "> years in component.s of clc t < >c transformers, paints, ink:. i'-c* and as piast.cizcrs. . 'TCBs s o extremely toxic HIGHEST M P.C.B. ^J.iV' In high concentration and ore knew they move through the aquatic food webs ami arc concentrated in the process, just like DDT," said govern ment geologist Herman Fcltz. "So far, we ve only begun to investigate the toxic effects of PCBs, blit it looks as if it could be much nore of a problem than DDT," he said. "We already knew they are even mote pcrnslcnt than DDT." The govemmert scicntr.ls found the cooecntrmion of PCBs in the sediment in the Miami River was .1,200 parts per billion. That's 200 times the level recommended by the Environmental Agency. Protection A spokesman for the USGS office in Miami said the 3300 parts per billion figure was found early in 1971 hi sedi ment lakcn from (he bottom of the Miami Hiver. "But samples taken a lew moi'Uis U:<`r sh*mcd that con centration had drr*|>|>cd to goo to TO parts per billion, and atuwiu-r sitmpif' taken trccnil* showed it was down to 90 parts," the spokesman said. "Its apparently leaching out pretty steadily." The study released by DSGS did not include samples of waters in the iadustrial areas of Florida like Tampa, Jacksonville and Pensacola, where scientists suspect the level of PCHs may be even higlicr than in South Florida. (In Jucbvuivilic. Hamilton S. Oven, an engineer with the stale HiooitvironmcnU.1 .Ser vices division said, "As far as I k.iow no one has ever mea sured the PCB content in the water here. PCBs arc used in plastic manvfacturc and are often a precipitate alter incin eration. There is little, if any, plastic manufactured litre, and the city has shut doe n its in cinerators. Hut the compound is also dumped by nnuit in.-m- ufatltirvrs and bv printers and ink manu(aL!:iirrs. As a-, our rrv i.ib i; com pleted, we will lie ah!:.- to nic.is'ire the concentration , hew." ) . Most of the PCBs. arc In- ' jocled into the environment through domestic and in dustrial sewage disposal. The chemical cunirmund is virtual ly non-degrndaWe and it* po-> tcnt'al danger to the environ ment ws not discovered until 1966. r'eltz noted that the Miami River, until recently, was the dumping place of muth of the areas indusirial waste, as is the ease in many other major waterways ut South Florida. The Monsanto Co. is the orly producer of PCBs, in the nation and three years ago u accidental spill of a PCB heat exchange compound into Es cambia Day ia the Florida Panhandle killed off boltomdvcIUng orgam.-nis in a wide area and officials say traces of the compound ate still found in the bays marine life. in J!i8, after a PCB con tamination of rice n.! hi Ja pan, more than l,0Uh persons were treated for tu.- poi. oniiC, winch produces an aenelikc outbreak of *kin soi c*.. 7 FROM THE DESK OF: E. V. John B2SL feorge - B2NA Bergen - B2SL neeler - A2SA Stapleton - B2SA 'Easley - 1920 A. Marsh - 5040 MOAS 07211a Inveresk Research International Inveresk Musselburgh Midlothian Scotland Telephone 031*665 2434 Also af Elphinstone Research Centra Tranent East Lothian Telephone 8766 523 Research Perk Rrccerton Currie Midlothian Telephone 031-449 2223 8th March, 1972 H.A.Vodden, Esq., Monsanto Chemicals Ltd., Ruabon Works, Ccfn Mawr, Wrexham, Denbighshire. Dear KV. Vodden, P-1372 8. S. Following our meeting at your Ruabon Works on 18th February, 1972, we now have pleasure in submitting for your approval, our proposal for "Environmental Persistence Studies with PCB's." BACKGROUND In response to mounting criticism that PCB's are a potential environmental hazard, Monsanto have ceased seiitng PCB's prior to more intensive investigation of their properties. Studies have been undertaken by you and others which would suggest that PCB's with o low degree of chlorination da not persist in tissues as long as the more highly chlorinated ones ond on the basis of this evidence, Monsanto have produced a PCB, Aroclor 1016, which has the desirable commercial properties yet con lotns only low-chlorinated PCB's. Before marketing this product, evidence of Its non persistence in the environment must be produced. Evidence has already been generated of Araclor 1016's degradability by micro-organisms, and we propose to establish self-supporting fresh water and morine ecosystems to determine Its persistence under such circumstances in both the living ond non-iiving components of the systems. PROCEDURE/ HONS 072115