Document jgN3dgm2Vk8GDBxrRbwGmLqKk

GULFPORT, MISS. HERALD D. 35,500 JUN 1 01976 X/X. N/ PCBs: spreading contamination It wasn't too long alter Rachel Carton's book "Silent Spring" was published 15 years ago that DDT became a dirty word. The book detailed the ad verse effect of peetlcldes, par- tlcularly DDT, on the environment. Ten years after "Silent Spring," the Environ mental Protection Agency banned the domestic use of DDT. But It wasn't until four years ago that any type of controls -- and these were voluntary -- were placed on a group of In dustrial pollutants known as PCBs. or polychlorinated bi phenyls. ' PCBs may be a worse threat to the environment than DDT. In use since 1920, PCBs have been used mainly as cooling flulda In electrical transform ers, as fluids for electromag nets, as heat-transfer fluids and as plasticisers tor waxes and adhesives. They are also used In painte, printing Inks and carbonless "carbon'' paper. PCBs are far more resistant to degradation by natural forces than DDT, and for that reason the amount of PCBs In the environment either has ex ceeded or soon will, th/e amounts of DDT. Once in the environment, PCBs leak Into the food chain and end up In humans where they produce severe ailments. Including a skin disease and liver problems. And research ers have found evidence that the pollutants are toxic at much lower levels than pre viously believed. Although concern about PCBs has bsen aired before, It was not until ltn that the SPA recommended production curbs on the pollutants. Mon- MlS--SWBoratlon, the only domestic producer of PCBs, agreed to voluntarily atop sell ing the material to those cus tomers who released them Into the environment. The agree ment did little to abate the pol lution. American users of PCBs who were cut off by Monsanto simply turned to European sup pliers, and because the pollu tants are almost Indestructible, the contamination spread. Concentrations of the toxic chemlcale In many species of Hudson River fish has forced New York state officials to plan a ban on commercial flahtng along the waterway. Traces of PCBs have been found far from Industrial arses -- such as In tha Hudson, the Great Lakes, the upper Missis sippi River and the Quit of Mexico. Five years ago, researchers detected some levels of PCBs In Mississippi's Leaf River sys tem, which runs from north of Hattiesburg to the southeastern part of the state. Yet, there Is no Industry In Mississippi using the chemicals in production as far as state officials know. An awesome amount of evid ence has been compiled on the toxic pollutanta, but aa yet, Congress has still to act. The EPA considers PCBs a highpriority Item and has cited the chemicals In Its call for pas sage of the long-proposed Toxic Substance Control Act. Indus trial opposition to certain prov isions of ths act have prevented strict controls from being placed on PCBs and while Con gress dawdles, the contamina tion apreade. Apparently nothing short of a pandemic disease will prompt legislation totally banning the eubstance. RONS 037267