Document dQbDbxbDQOZYbQGd9pZGqre95

High Chemical Level ' FoundIn State Fish MADISON. Wia. <AP) - cinerated into ihe air and enter Chemical pollution may be making tome Wisconsin fish unsafe to eat. High levels of PCB's, or polychlorinated biphenyls; a rivers and lakes as fallout and runoff. Once there. PCBS tend to resist biological degradation. The Wisconsin Natural toxic industrial chemical, are Resources Board has yet to showing up in fish from cer act on the PCB problem, tain waters, health officials although the DNR has stepped report. . up Us monitoring and sur No deaths haveyet occurred veillance efforts. In the In Wisconsin from eating fish meantime, Michigan and containing PCBs or any other Minnesota, which are having toxic substance, said Jerry similar problems with the Murdahi, a chemist for the chemical, have called for a State Department of federal ban on sales of PCBS Agriculture, which monitors except for essential uses. foods produced and sold In the Greater controls have ell state. but eliminated problems with But danger exists, warned other toxic chemicals which Dr. James Allen, a University had contaminated Wisconsin's of Wisconsin pathologist. fish in the pest, and the same Daily doaea of PCBs over a could be done with PCBS, month of 2.5 parts per State Health Officer Dr. million-- half the level con George Mandy said. sidered safe for humans DDT, for instance, hes been --have been fatal to replaced with pesticides monkeys, Allen said. which do not leave residues, Studies indicate up to 30 per he said. cent of all Americana already, Mercury also has been have detectable levels of downgraded es a health PCBs in their bodies, he said. hazard after industries were Because PCBs accumulate ordered to cutback dumping of in fatty Usaue, "There Is a (he chemical In state riven distinct possibility that even and streams, though fish from at extremely low levels, PCBs the Wisconsin River still may eventually reach a toxic contain levels above the safe level in man/' Allen warned. maximum for humans. Handy Allen said the PCB effects said. observed in monkeys are Handy fears that PCBS may similar to symptoms reported be the first of many Industrial in 1901 for 1,000 Japanese who chemical killers lurking in the accidentally eta PCB-tainted environment, waiting to be rice oil. The effects included discovered. acne, ulcere. jaundice, bloated `There ere numerous other faces, swollen joints and loss chemical agents out there of body hair. Because the which we haven't even begun PCBs were retained in their -lo hear about yet," Handy fat. the symptoms far many said. "I wonder what wifi lingered for several years. show up next." Babies born to effected women were discolored end smaller than normal. PCBs, which have been widely used for almost so years in numerous Industrial products such ai insulating and hydraulic fluids, paints, inks and adhaaivet, have Shown up in other-foods besides fish, said Donald Heelton, regional director of the U S. Pood and Drug Administration. . Four years ago the PDA discovered PCBs in food packaged in paperboard made from recycled carbonless copy paper. More recently, mint from Michigan end Ohio was contaminated when dairy herds are fed stored in slice containing PCBs. he said. MARINETTE, WIS, EAGEESTAR & 11,000 JUL 1 9 1975 $4*- r Pish are the most frequent carriers of the contaminating chemicals Healton said. The FDA earlier this summer destroyed 10 tons of carp valued a 53 million from Lake Pepin and banned commercial fishing along parts of the Mississippi River because of high PCBlevels In fish. | Last March the Wisconsin t Department of Agriculture 1 blocked the sale of PCB* contaminated carp from a Green Bay fishery. In June, the Department Natural , Resources imposed restrie- ( (ions on commercial catchaa 1 from Lake Michigan after PCB concentrations of up to ten time the level considered safe for humans were found in laketrout and salmon. "There's no doubt these restrictions will have a great impact on the Industry, especially along the Mississippi, and the state's economy,'' said Donald Konsoer of the State Agriculture Department. But he declined to speculate how many millions of dollars fishermen may lose. Meanwhile, the DNR has updated its 1971 warning to anglers not to eat more than one fish per week from the Great Lakes and certain inland streams, including the * Wisconsin and Fox Rivers. The source and extent of the PCB pollution is not known, although paper recycling mills and waste treatment plants are prime suspects. Some scientists speculate PCBS are vaootizeo and in- ./ \ HONS 031039