Document Vjm3j14pzOER9pYqkjMgYjxLp
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. BERKELEY
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SANTA BAAIAHA SANTA CNVZ
OOtXECI or AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OP NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
INSTITUTE OP MARINE RESOURCES
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720
November 1, 1968
6
Dr Robert A. Conkin Group Leader Research Monsanto Chemical Company 600 North Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63166
Dear Dr. Conkin:
Hr* Wayne Thornburg has mentioned your interest in the work of our laboratory
with polychlorinated biphenyls in the global environment. Enclosed for your
Information are two manuscripts. The paper entitled "Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in
Marine Ecosystems" was presented at the Rochester Conference on Chemical Fallout
June and is now. in. press as a chapter in the Proceedings of that conference..
The manuscript entitled "Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Global Ecosystem" is
a draft of a paper now in preqs in NATURE.
'
1 would greatly appreciate any critical comments you might have on these papers. Do you believe, for example, that there might be another source of these compounds other than your Aroclor products? We find that the concentrations of PCB in fish and birds are highest in Industrial areas, but that the marine environment is now almost universally contaminated. The discovery that these compounds are powerful Inducers of live enzymes which break down steroids will ultimately lead to the setting of tolerance limits in fish consumed for food.
I would especially appreciate any suggestions you might have in assisting ua in looking for and identifying other industrial products which, because of their chemical stability and non-polar character, may also be accumulated by fish and wildlife.
Sincerely yours,
({jJ -^O
Robert W. Risebrough
RWR:ca
Enclosures
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