Document X7Ypnv7KDaEod01EDd7kmabVd

P x^ o^ y A Wire Reclamation Incinerator as a Source of Environmental Contamination with Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and Tetrachlorodibenzofurans D A N IE L 0 . H R Y H O R C Z U K , M.D. University of Illinois School of Public Health and Section of Occupational Medicine Cook County Hospital Chicago, Illinois W ILLIAM A. WITHROW Illinois Pollution Control Board Chicago, Illinois C A R O L Y N S. H E S S E , M.S. United States Environmental Protection Agency Chicago, Illinois V A L R. B E A S L E Y , D.V.M. College of Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois Urhana, Illinois A B S T R A C T . The authors investigated an outbreak of un usual illnesses in humans and horses residing within 1.3 km of a wire reclamation Incinerator. The study included site visits; medical and veterinary examinations; analyses of fur nace ash, fly ash, soil, and biologic samples for air residues. Teirachlorodibcnzoyj-dioxins (TCD D s) and tetrachlorodibcniofurans (T C D Fs) were discovered in furnace ash, fly ash, soil, horse fat, and horse liver samples. IN C IN E R A T IO N is a commonly used method for the recovery o f metals from wire scrap. The combustible por tion of wire insulation can be comprised of a wide variety of materials, including rubber, paper, cotton, asphaltimpregnated fabrics, silk, and a large variety of plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chlor ide.1 Older cables can contain chlorinated naphthalenes and polychlorinated biphenyls.' Iherm.tl degradation of insula ted electrical wircjwithout proper air pollution control ettuipnieni can lead to the emission ol particulates, hydro carbons, metals, halides, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides.1 Recent studies have shown that highly toxic polychlor inated dihen/o-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated diben/ofurans (PCD Fs) can he emitted by municipal and industrial incinerators, fossil-fueled power plants, and indus trial heating facilities. O lic-4 identified several PCDDs and PCD Fs in samples of fly ash from three municipal inciner ators in the Netherlands. Buser and Bosshardi5 determined that the total concentrations of PCDDs and PCD Fs in fly ash from a Swiss municipal incinerator were 0.2 parts per million (ppm) and 0 . 1 ppm, respectively: the to).if lo ik y ti trations of PCDDs and P C D Fs in fly ash from an industrial healing facility were 0.6 ppm and 0.3 ppm, respectively. Dow6 found PCDDs in parts per billion (ppb) levels in par ticulate matter from the air emissions of a stationary tar burner, rotary kiln incinerator, and a fossil-fueled power house. Kimble and Gross7 found no letrnchlorodibcnzo-pdioxins (TCDDs) in My ash collected from the stack of a commercial coal-fired power plant, whereas Tiernan el al.~ detected TCD D s in emissions from a municipal incinerator. The origin of PCD D s and P C D Fs in the airborne particulates Irpm ihese combustion processes is still unclear. Recent studies"-1 have shown that chlorinated phenols, polvchlutin.ued biphenyls, chlorinated diphenyl ethers, and chlnnihen/cues can convert to PCDDs and PCDI's in thcim.il pro cesses. A s insulated electrical wire and cable may contain some of these precursors, incineration of these materials might lead to the formation and emission of PCDDs and PCDFs. Our investigation of an outbreak of unusual illnes ses in humans and horses residing within 1.3 km of a wire n't Ijn u 'iK iii inoinct J h if included analyses of lurr.ace ash, tie ash, v n l, and huise l.ti and livei samples !*ii I .uni jcijathlunidihen/ufuM ns (TC D I's). Description nf the Incident Trom 1976 to I960, citizens of a rural, midwestern communiiy fried numerous complaints with their stjtc Environ mental Protection Agency regarding a wire reclamation facility located within 1.3 km of their homes. They claimed ih.it iiK ineraim s.il the facility were etmiinuntrsl) emitting dense, malodorous smoke which they believed posed a haz ard to their health and properly. The complaints were sup ported by photographs and a daily emission fog kept by one of the citizens. Several complained of burning eyes, sore throat. hcadachcr dizziness, and nausea temporally related to the emissions. The proprietor of a horse boarding stable and riding school stated that from 1976 to 1980, fourteen of her horses hjd died of unexplained causes. The affected hor ses suffered chronic weight loss, hair loss, and thickened -.kin on the dorsal aspect ol their bodies; some developed paresis in the rear and edema of the distal parts of the limbs. Horses which grazed in the adjacent pasture were the most severely affected. The wire reclamation facility incinerated wire, cable, and X-ray film to recover copper, silver, and lead. In 1979, the wire reclamation facility had increased operations from one to three incinerators; the new incinerators increased their processing capacity from 45 to 82 tons of scrap per month. Though the incinerators were equipped with after burners, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency doubled that they were operating properly, if at all. The manager o f the facility admitted that there was a smoke prohlem from the incineration of 350 ions of scrap power plant cable. He described the cable as being a 6-in diam eter copper wire core, wrapped in oil-saturated paper, and covered by a lead sleeve. Subsequent to a preliminary in vestigation, the wire reclamation facility was closed by temporary injunction in April, 1980. METHODS The state Environmental Protection Agency requested the assistance of a health effects specialist from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA ), a medical toxicologist, and a veterinary toxicologist to investigate sieged health effects from pollutants emitted by the wire reclamation incinerator. Members of this team visited the site, interviewed the citizens and manager of the inciner ator, collected samples for air pollutant residues, and examined the affected people and animals. We selected the sampling sites based on the predicted behavior of the incinerator's plume, which was estimated using an atmospheric dispersion model and wind rose.13*ia The dispersion model predicted the X max, i.c., the dis tance to the point where the plume touches the ground with maximum concentration. The wind rose predicted the sector within the X max area which would be most heavily impacted by the plume. The most distal X max and most hejviJy impacted sector jr c shown in Figure 1. The sampling scheme consisted of several soil samples, scrapings from two of the lluee stacks, and shapings hum the inside of all three fvjrnat.es. Water samples weie obtained from private wells in the area. All samples were collected in June and Ju ly ol 1980. The soil sample sites are shown in Figure I. Site No. I was located 50 m cast of the stacks. This sample consisted of the top 5 cm of soil. Site No. 2 was located 10 m south ol the facility on a spot where oil had been spilled. I bis sample consisted of the top 3 cm ol soil. Site No. 3 was located 215 m east of Ihc facility in the yard ol one of ihc affected families. A core soil sample to a depth of 20 cm was collected for inorganics; a surfjee sample to a depth of 4 cm was collected for organics. Site No. 4 was located 1 km northeast of the incinerator in the pasture where the affected horses had grazed; both a core soil sample to a depth of 20 cm and a surface soil sample to j depth of 3 cm were collected. Site No. 5 w js located 6.4 km northeast of a facility in a relatively undisturbed wooded area. A surface soil sample to a depth of 3 cm and a core soil sample to a depth of 20 cm were collected from this site to serve as controls. Fly and furnace ash samples were collected from the top of the stacks and from the incinerator furnaces, respec tively. A fire department snorkel was used to obtain sam ples from the top of the slacks. The material scraped from the stack of incinerator No. 1 was a reddish-brown scale. In slack No. 2, a pale green powder was removed from the base of the spark arrester. Access to stack No. 3 was blocked by a utility pole and a mobile home. Samples col lected inside the incinerators were from the knockdown chamber, the ledge at the base of the stack, and the wall of the primary chamber, in incinerators No. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. All samples were placed in new glass jars and refriger ated. Aluminum foil was placed between the sample and lid of the jar. Samples for inorganics; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrommated biphenyls (PBBs), pes ticides, and phthalatcs; and nonvolatile organics were analyzed by the U.S. EPA Central Regional Lab according to their standard operating procedures: C R L method No. 571-598, No. 198-207-, and No. 625, respectively.15-17 Veterinary samples for PCBs and PBBs were analyzed by gas liquid chromatography at the Regional Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory inCentralia, Illinois. Analyses for T C D D s and T C D F s were performed by Dr. M. Gross at the Midwest Center for Mass Spectrometry at the University of Nebraska using a gas chromalography/high resolution mass spectrometry procedure, as described in a previous work.7 Citizens who complained of adverse health effects were offered medical examinations in the Occupational Medi cine Clinic at a nearby county hospital. The examination* included a medical history, review of medical records, phy sical examination, complete blood count (C BC ), scrum chemistry screen, liver profile, urinalysis, pulmonary (unction tests, blunj lead, free erythrocyte protoporphy rin (FEP ), and scrum PCB level. One patient (N.C.) had an extensive neurologic work-up before being examined at the Occupational Medicine Clinic, the results of which arc also presented. M|iicintio(/CKiobi`i 1981 Vot. 3l> (No. 5)| ?29 X III.IK / r 4 IM 1 0 1 k ilo m e t e r Fig . 1. Map of area includ ing most h eavily im pacted sector {du\hcd and soil sample sites 1-4. I I il- veterinary toxicologist examined and obtained a blood load level on a dog kepi in a home located 225 m east of ihc incinerator. Bone lead content was measured in two rabbits taken in the field between the home and the incinerator. A Iat sample lor PCBs and PUBs analyses was obtained from a chicken raised ncjrby. C ilv c \ chick ens, and horses were examined at a small farm located 0.5 km from the inciner.tior. Fiozen liver from two I -* il T ild e 1. t.cve ls n( S rle c ie d In u iR jn it s in 5 m l, S l^ i k . jn d f u r u j c c Samples k 9 $j triple Copper litm g .iim C .iia il'v ie i* [ppm ] [.fa d Stiver C h lo rid e i S u i t wm /j/r I1 4 .t t * 4 3* i* 3 5* / 1 Sf,i. k t i 1 \ XJ 16 ,0 0 0 IX 11 19 1 IU t ax 000 (.S 37 50 3 9 ,0 0 0 13 8 ,0 0 0 3 7 ,0 0 0 1 7 9 ,0 0 0 N't) 1*. 5)1 M ND (< .3 ] N O (; .3 ) N D (< .3) 4b Id 25 32 1 IK 91 45 NA? NA iJ 't i u i . ) . n r . p i t 's \ : j 5 3 ,0 0 0 1.' .n m i 2 ,6 0 0 3 1 .0 0 0 1 1.000 6 ,3 0 0 5S () 55 S 5 .5 0 0 IKS 131 *C uic sjm plcs. 'Not detected J l Hie detection limit indicated in parentheses. Not analyzed. calves previously butchered were collected and analyzed fur PCBs, PBBs, arsenic, lead, copper, jn d molybdenum. Fresh eggs were tollccicd and analyzed for PCBs and PBBs. A live chicken was sacrificed for pathologic examination. The liver was analyzed for levels of lead, PCBs, and PBBs; fixed lung tissue was analyzed for metals using energy dis persive X-ray analysis. The veterinary toxicologist examined the horses, feed, and pasture at the horse boarding stable located 1.3 km northeast of the incinerator. Blood, fecal, skin, and hair samples were collected. Blood tests included a complete blood count, serum chemistry screen, liver profile, and blood lead. A post-mortem examination was performed on an IS-yr-old mare at the state university's Laboratory of Diagnostic Veterinary Medicine. Fat and liver samples were frozen in methylene chloride-rinsed aluminum foil and sent to Dt. Gross for T C D D and T C D F analyses. RESULTS' Pollutant residues. The levels nf copper, lead, silver, and chloride in the soil, stack, and furnjee samples arc presented in Table 1. The levels of copper, lead, and silver in the fur naces'and sl.icks reflect their use as metal recovery inciner ators. The high level of chloride from furnace No. 1 sug gests that material incinerated there had contained an appreciable amount of chlorine. Soil sample No. 2. located 10 m south ol the incinerator, contained the highest soil levels of cupper, lead, and silver. The on-site soil samplesNos. 1 and 2 contained higher levels of copper and lead than did the off-site and control samples. 7 he levels of organic compounds . i the soil, itiin.ne. .uni slack samples are presented n "1 2. Seseral pohc y ilic aromatic hydrocar buns, usu.i!!\ associated with c o m bustion, arc present in all three furnace samples, with the highest levels and the greatest v jrie iy from furnace No. 1. Many of these compounds (phenanthrcnc, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene) were also found in soil sample No. 1, collected 50 m east of the facility. Soil sample No. 2, collected 10 rn south of the facility from an area where oil had been spilled, contained 6.9 ppm ol PCBs. Low lev els of several phlhalaics, commonly used as plastici/ers, were found in soil sample No. 3. Soil sample No. *4, col lected from the horse pasture, contained 0.06 ppm of DDT. Except for elevated iron and total solids, the water sam ples had no abnormal values beyond the maximum contam inant level for public water supplies. Total T C D D and total TC D K levels in soil sample No. 1, soil sample No. 4, furnace No. 2, stack No. 2. horse fat, and horse liver arc presented in Table 3. The highest levels of T C D D s and T C D F s were found in the slack sample. Lower levels were lutnul in the lurnace and in soil sample No. I. T C D D s jn d T C D F s were not detected in soil sam ple No. 4." I C uKs were lound in both horse fat and liv crr T C D D s were tound in the horse fat, but not in the horse liver. No known otoxin-contaminatcd pesticides had been used in the area. ' Medical examinations. Thirteen people residing within 1.3 km of the incinerator complained to state Environ mental Protection Agency officials of adverse health effects. Five people agreed to be examined in April and May of 1980. N.C., a 27-yr-old male, and his wife (C.C.) had resided approximately 220 m cast of the incinerator since 1978. The patient complained of eye and throat irritation, dizziness, and nausea when he was exposed to smoke emit ted by the incinerator. In May, 1979, he had an episode of transient neurologic dysfunction characterized by mild weakness of the right upper extremity and face along with blurred vision. In December, 1979, he had the onset of oscillopsia and was" noted to have bilateral nystagmus. On physical examination the patient was found to have acne vulgaris, upbearing nystagmus in all directions of gaze, mild dimimshment of alternate movement rate in the right upper extremity, and a right Babinsky~sign. The following laboratory tests were within normal limits: C B C , scrum chemistry group screen, scrum triglycerides, scrum protein electrophoresis, sed rate, syphilis serology, L .E . clot test, urinalysis, blood lead, F E P , scrum PCB, and head C T scan. Lumbar puncture showed normal total protein and IgG with a normal cell count. Brainstem auditory evoked res ponses were normal bilaterally, but pattern shift visual evoked responses were abnormal. C .C ., a 28-yr-<iM female, complained of irritation of the eyes and throat, dizziness, and nausea when exposed to smoke from the numerator. She complained of a gradual onset of frontal headache and transient visual disturbances since Fcbruaiy, I 97j). These symptoms persisted after the birth of a hcjlthy daughter in May, 1979. On physical examination, the patient was found to have a maculopapular rash localized in the right scapular area and a lll/ V l sys tolic murmur heard at the apex and left parasternal border. Stpiim hci/CX i.jtw i I9S1 | Vitl. .tli (No. s | | 231 L jh o rjlu ry studies, including .1 CBC, urinalysis, liver pro file, triglycerides, urin.ilysis, blond lead, f-I.P, serum PCB, and pulmonary function tests were within normal limits. S.D ., a 52-yr-old female, had owned hurse boarding stables and a riding school approximately 1.3 Km north- a T ? e.ist of the me inera tor since l% ( i. During the past 2 \i the patient complained of cm essivc tearing, rhinitis, episodic throat and chest lightness, occipital headache, and tran sient left-sided paresthesias. She also complained of gener alized weakness, loss of appetite, and joint stiffness. On Table 2.--Levels of Orgjnic Compounds in Soil, Stack, and Fumante Samples Organic Parameters r] Pesticides [ppm (detection limit < 1 ppm)] t POBs [ppm (detection limit < -5 ppm) 1 PCBs [ppm (detection limit ~ .5 ppm] | -t - Chemicals detected from organic scans (ppm): Hexachlorobcnzenc Phcnanlhrene & anthracene Methyl phcnanthrcnc & methy-I anthracene Fluoranthene Pyrene Napthalene Methyl naphthalene 2-phcnyi naphthalene Hexachlorostyrenc 9H-Nuoren-9-one 9, 10-anthracenedione 7*(1, 1-dimethyl) 2, 3 dihydro3, 3-dimethyl-l H-inden1-one 2, 6-dimcthyl-2, 5-hcptadicne -4-one 3, 5, 5-trimethyl-2-cycluhexcn,, -1 -one 3 hexen-2-one 2, S hexanedione Dodecanoic acid Hcxadecanoic acid Octadccanoic acid Phenol -- 1.4 -- 0.3 0.3 0.1 -- - - -- - -- 1.5 0.9 1.2 1-Hcxacosanol 1-Hexacosene 3-Hcxenal Methylchlorocyclo-hexane (2 isomers) N-nitrosodiphcnyl-amine Di-n-butyl phthalate Bis (2-ethyIhexyl) phthalate Bulylbcncyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Unidentified silicone compounds 3.6 5.8 -- -- -- -- - Other hydrocarbons Othct unknown compounds -- Samples Soil 1jc k * 3 ' r A* =T' 1 2 6.91 -- - 0.06 s - - --- ------ - -- 0.3 - -------- _ ---- - 0.1 0.1 ----- - --- _-- ---- -- - --- - --- ---- ----- ----- no -- -64 -- - - 0.1 -- -- - 0.4 - - 1.8 - - #- -- - --- - 30 1.5 (6 empds) 400 - - 370 - - (3 cm pds) -- 4.3 --- - 0.1 _-- --- -- - _ _-- ---- --- ---- -6 ----0.2 - - ---- - - 9.6 (5 empds) - -- 0.1 0.2 - - -- -- _ -- -- -- -- - 1.3 - T utn.ici=1 " c j --- 23.8 481.5 0.4 39.3 37.S - 1.4 4.1 6.3 .14 9.1 - - 3.5 43 130 -- -- 61 -- -- -- - -- - - - -61 (2 tmpds) 3.7 0.2 - - - 0.7 1.3 1 3.S - - 1.5 0.6 - 'Surface samples. JPesticides analyzed for were: chlordanc, endiin, pp*-OOT, toxjphunc, licp ijch lo r, lindane, dicldrin, and methoxychlor. J Compound was not detected. $The pesticide detected was DDT. / Arochlor 1254. Level detected was not sufficiently high to quantitate. J i jt i ; t A ;i t t 1 f i t 1 VF' _ . *k pliysic.il irx.imm,ilinn the p.ilrcni w.is found m h.m* roiJCc'.i. Ljh oraiurv sludict, including C liC . utin,ily\!\ scrum ih c m ijiry screen, blood k\ul, .md M;P were within noim.il limits. I..G ., a 24-yr-old male, had resided with his wile (K.G.) approximately 225 m east of the incinerator since 1976. He complained of eye irritation when exposed to smoke from the incinerator, but had no other symptoms. On physical examination he was found to have an erythema tous macular rash over his upper chest and neck. The patient had an elevated cholesterol level of 256 mg/100 ml and elevated triglyceride level of 319 mg/100 ml. Other laboratory tests, including scrum chemistry screen, blood lead, F E P , serum PCB, and urinalysis were within normal limits. F .G ., a 24-yr-old female, complained of frequent Ironlal hcjdachc, blurry vision, nervousness, and an intermit tent sore throat. Her past medical history was significant in that she had viral B hepatitis with four recurrences of jaundice since junc, 1979. On physical examination she was found to have a macular rash over her chest and back. L.thor.iinry tests, including a CBC , liver profile, urinalysis, blood lead, F E P , and scrum PCB were within normal limits. Veterinary examinations. Lead levels in all animal-sam ples were within normal limits. No PCBs or PBBs were detected in the fat or liver of the various animal species at a 0.1 ppm limit of detection. The dog was found to be clinically normal. While calves at the small farm had not grown as well as previously owned calves, their rations contained a fairly poor quality hay and shelled, but uncrackcd corn. The two horses received adequate rations and were kept in a barn at night and suffered no note worthy illness. The chickens were normal in outward appearance. The necropsicd chicken had no significant gross lesions. On histopathology, there were accumula tions of dark, irregularly shaped masses, primarily within macrophages, around airways; there were also microfocal lymphoid aggregates adjacent to the airways. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the chicken's lung revealed elevated levels of aluminum, palladium, titanium, and silver. The copper content of the calves' livers was low at 6 to 16 ppm. We could not determine whether the horses kept at the boarding stable located 1.3 km northeast of the inciner ator had been receiving adequate feed. At the time of the first visit, the pasture appeared overgrazed, the oats were of poor quality, and the hay in feed bunks was in short supply. A t a subsequent visit, however, the feed was plenti ful and o f good quality. T he horses most severely affected and all those that died had been allowed to remain in the pasture^ located 1 km northeast of the incinerator at all. Tunes. Horses kept indoors were either unaffected or much less a iic c ic ST" Several of the horses present were noticably under weight. Three had alopecia on their dorsal aspects with exfoliation and hypercmic margins; large hair-containing crusts could be peeled away. CuhurcTailcd to recover organ isms apart from Alternaria, a contaminant. One extremely underweight animal had paraphimosis. Three of five ani mals' fecal samples revealed only small strongyles from 200 to 400 eggs/g. The horse identified as the "broodmare" had small strongyles, as well as Stranaytus edentotuj and Triodontophorus sp. with an egg count of 1700cggs/g. Egg counts arc difficult to interpret because of the temporal var iability of egg shedding by intestinal parasites. There was no clinical correlation between the animals' conditions and fecal egg counts. Complete blood counts on three animals revealed no abnormalities. Scrum profiles revealed consistent decreases in albumin. Post-mortem examination of a marc that died in June, 1980, revealed a tear in the colon near the cecum with extensive secondary peritonitis. She had appeared in good flesh at the time of the initial visit, although she had been among the severely affected original group. She had given birth to a blind foal and a stunted foal. Her fecal samples had revealed small strongyles, Strongylus edentatus, and Strongylus vulgaris with an egg count of 2200 eggs/g. On post-mortem, there were pathologic anterior mesenteric artery changes consistent with Strongylus vulgaris larval migration. There was a fibrous band extending from the tip of the cecum to the right body wall compressing the colon. Hislopalhology revealed foci uf macrophage accum ulation in portal areas of the liver. There was mineraliza tion of the renal tubular cells and slight thickening of Bow man's capsules and glomerular tufts. Forty-five parts per trillion (ppt) of total T C D D was detected in the mare's fat; no T C D D was detected in the mare's liver. One hundred sixty-five ppt of total T C D F was detected in the mare's fat and 57 ppt of total T C D F was detected in the marc's liver. D ISC U S SIO N Our study demonstrates that a wire reclamation inciner ator can be a source of environmental contamination with TC D D s and T C D F s. These compounds may have entered the incinerator intact in the fuel or charge. An alternative explanation is that they were formed in the complex chem istry of combustion from precursors found in wire insula tion. Human and animal exposure to airborne TC D D s and T C D F s appears to have been very low, as indicated by the Table 3.--Levels of Tctrachiorodibenzo-p-DloxIns (TC D D i) and Tetrachlorodibenzofurans (T C D F s) In Soli, Furnace, Stack, Horse Fat, and Horse Liver Samples Sample T o u l TCD D s (ppt) T o u l T C D Fs (ppt) Soil No. 1 Soil No. 4 Furnace No. 2 Stack No. 2 Horse fat Horse liver 21 ND (< 3 ppOt 58 410 45 ND (< 6 p p l)i 230 N D (<3ppt)t 730 11,600 165 57 'Surface sample. 1Not detected al a detection limit of 3 ppt. jN o t detected at a detection limit of 6 ppt. September/Ociober 1981 [Vol. 36 {No. 5) | 233 U .ac (.iiMLirntMtion'i of these* ic'nuJuvs in tin -**. sm l, ,uhJ lissue samples. The most loxic of the 22 JCD D and 3b It.: IF isomers .ire 2, 3, 7, X TCD D and 2, 3, 7, 8 T C D F . I In* I.U 5 0 \ u l these compounds arc in the order of microt'.Mms per kilo gram in many animal species. 2, 3, 7, 8 T( DD is .i mullisysicm toxin, teratogen, fctuioxin, and carcinogen.18 The dose-response relationships of these compounds in hum.ms and horses arc largely unknown. As we were only able to measure total TCD D s and T C D Fs, we do not know whether the highly loxic 2, 3, 7, 8 isomers were present in our sam* pics. We concluded that many of the acute human health effects in the present case were caused by exposure to air pollutants commonly found in the smoke em illcd by 1 improperly controlled wire reclamation incinerators. These pollutants include carbon monoxide, halides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and other pyrolysis products.1,3 There was no evidence of lead, copper, or silver poisoning in the humans or animals. We could not establish a defin ite association between (he human health effects and the exposure to trace amounts of TCD D s and T C D Fs. One person had longstanding acne vulgaris, but neither he nor any of the others had a condition resembling chloracne. While visual disturbances, nystagmus, and polyneuropathy have been previously described in persons exposed to 2, 3, 7, 8 T C D D ,18 the present exposure appears to have been much lower than in the previous eases. The presence of trace amounts of TCD D s and T C D F s in the horse tissue is evidence o f exposure rather than intoxi cation. The absence of TC D D s and T C D F s in the pasture soil sample suggests that inhalation may have been an impor tant route of exposure. There arc no data on the kinetics, metabolism, and critical concentrations of T C D D s and T C D F s in horses. The symptoms in the affected horses were remarkably similar to those described in a previous T C D D poisoning episode.19' 50 In the previous episode, however, the horses had been exposed to soil contaminated with part per million levels of T C D D s; no tissue levels of T C D D were available from those horses for comparison. T C D D s and T C D F s have previously been detected in the fly ash of municipal and industrial incinerators.4-6,8 Oper ators of wire reclamation facilities should be aware that the potential exists for the emission of these compounds from wire reclamation incinerators. Data collected to dale on the loxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and fctotoxic potential of the 2, 3, 7, 8 isomers warrant concern over trace environ mental contamination with TC D D s and T C D F s. The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the U.5. Envir onmental Protection Agency Central Regional Laboratory, the Illin ois Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory, and Cook County I lotpilal. Submitted lor publication July 2, 1981; JLLepied lor publica tion August 22, 198). Requests Tor reprints should be sent to: Daniel H ryh oK /u k, M.D., Section of Occupational Medicine, 720 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL 60612. KLf LKLNCLS i Danielson, J.A. 197 3, Air Pollution Engineer nig Mjh u.iI, 1'nbiic.uiun No. AP--10. Washington, U .C .: U.S. Lnvutm nicnijl Ptu tection Agency. 2, Kimbrough, R.U . 1972. Tostcity (1 chlorinated hytnK.ulnius and related compounds. Arch Environ Health 25: 125-31. I. Petkus, E .J .; Thorp, W .l K i m u r a , CL; and Linnz, E.W. 1979. Chloride and Heavy Metal Emissions (tom Wire Horning mineranus. Pjper presented .it the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association held June 2-1-29, 1979, CinLin- naii, OH. 1. Olic, L .; Vermculen, P .L.; and Hutzinger, O. 1977. Chlorodibcn- zo-p-dioxins and chlurodibcnzofurans arc trace components of fly ash and flue gas of some municipal incinerators in the Nether lands. Chemosphere 8: 455-59. 5. Buser, H .R ., and Bosshardt, H.P. 1978. Polychlorinated dibenzop-dioxins, dibrnzofurans, and benzenes in the fly ash of munici pal and industrial incinerators. M in Gcbicte Ubensm Hyp 69: 191-99. 6. Dow Chemical Company. 1978. The Trace Chemistries ot Fire A Source o f and Routes fur En try o f Chlorinated Dioxins into the Environment. The Chlorinated Dioxins Task Force, the Michigan Division, Dow Chemical (U .S.A .). 7. Kimble, B .|., jnd Cross, M .L. 1980. Tcirachlorodibcn/o-p-diov* in quantitation in stack-collected coal fly ash. Science. 207:59-61. 8. * Tiernan, T.O .; Solch, J .( j.;V a n Ness, C .F .; and Dryden, J. 19SU. Analyses o f Industrial Samples for Tctrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (T C C D 's), Contract No. 68-03-2830. Cincinnati, O H : U .S. Envir onmental Protection Agency. 9. 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