Document dawxaz1d5Gj6YDV34zvMJ6mjQ
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
BERKELEY DAVIS IRVINE LOS ANCELES RIVERSIDE SAN DIECO SAN FRANCISCO
SANTA BARBARA SANTA CRUZ
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES INSTITUTE OF MARINE RESOURCES
A Iribvla ta tht Paacu of CaUtgnu
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720
November 1, 1968
Dr. Robert A. Conkin XJroup Leader Research Monsanto Chemical Company 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63166
'
Dear Dr. Conkin:
Mr. Wayne Thor'nburg_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
in 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 press in NATURE.
.
I 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
us 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.
.. .
Sincerelv vours.
RWR:ca Enclosures
Robert W. Risebrough DSW 343998
STLCOPCB4096884