Document mBb0JR8dRz2LO0gbN97r8KXQg

F^'thtdhsko7 - ' geRge j. levinskas ASV 0006466 LETTERS Agency for Research on Cancer (of which ohn T. Edsall errs in crediting DDT Vinyl Chloride and DDT: the United States is a member). This panel with halting a cholera epidemic in Naples also considered Maltoni's data to be pre- during World War II. A National Acad- Environmental Effects liminary at that time and "decided to post- emy of Sciences committee slated in 1970 pone compilation of the definitive review (/) that "DDT has prevented 500 million The report of the AAAS Committee on to the next meeting of the committee" (4). deaths due to malaria that would otherwise Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, ab After a period in which epidemiological have been inevitable." However, the breviated as an article by John T. Edsall and animal studies were being established, Naples miracle involved typhus rather (16 May. p. 637), requires comment. The MCA, on 17 April 1973, asked the Euro- than cholera or malaria. section entitled "The case of data suppres peans to jointly make presentations to It is unfortunate that Edsall selected an sion concerning the carcinogenicity of vi U.S. and- European government author undergraduate student's term paper (2) as nyl chloride" (p. 690) contains omissions1-- ities. Tlie Europeans readily agreed, and "a useful short history of the use of DDT," and errors that are inconsistent with the on 15 June 1973, MCA called the National for several well-informed scientists have committee's concern for scientific freedom Institute for Occupational Safety and written articles and books on DDT whicn and responsibility. Since so much pertinent Health (NIOSH) and requested an oppor would be more appropriate sources for information has been omitted concerning tunity to bring new information to that AAAS articles. He also refers to "the long this matter, readers may be misled into agency's attention. The appointment was persistence of DDT in soil," perhaps being believing the report. set by NIOSH for 17 July. Five European unaware that Stringer et ai (3) found the Edsai! states that, until May 1970, and American industry representatives haif-life of DDT to be only 3 years in "there had apparently been no research in presented to NIOSH the information that orchard soil after 17 successive years of the plastics industry concerning the pos tumors had been found in animals exposed heavy spraying. Edsall cites DDT's "pro sible hazards of vinyl chloride...This is to vinyl chloride concentrations below gressive concentration in food chains" as untrue. In fact, the basic published data on those that Viola had reported caused can having "led to the killing of great numbers vinyl chloride toxicity came from Ameri cer in rats. At that time, no human cancer of certain birds and fish"; however, the can industry (/. 2). The information in (2) cases had been reported; therefore, no spe lack of food chain magnification, espe had been publicly disclosed 3nd presented cial significance could be attached to the cially in marine environments, has been before cheir publication dates. Further types of tumors observed by Maitoni. pointed out by Moriarty (<*), Hameiink et more, the investigations of Viola and of The precautionary label suggested by at. (5), Harvey (6), and in two committee Maitoni have been supported by European MCA and referred to by Edsall was illus draft reports of the National Academy of industries. trated in MCA's Chemical Safety Data Sciences (7). Edsall correctly states that Manufac Sheet (SD56) on vinyl chloride, revised in While Edsall did not recommend halting turing Chemists Association (MCA) mem April 1972. Section 10.1 on "Health haz DDT use for malaria control, some "envi ber companies entered into an agreement ards" refers to Viola's published studies. ronmentalists" are again seeking to halt ail with the European sponsors of Maltoai's The Data Sheet states, "Recent research DDT exports from the United States, ft is work not to reveal preliminary Italian studies reported from Italy indicate that encouraging to see no such proposals in the data. The agreement was not dissimilar to repeated, long-term high level exposures of AAAS committee report. those commonly made between Ameacan rats to vinyl chloride monomer vapor can J. Gordon Edwards sponsors (government, industry, and aca result in the development of malignant tu Department of Biological Sciences. demic) and research institutions that new mors. However, many years of industrial SanJoseState University. data remain the property of the institution experience with human exposures to con San Jose. California 95192 and that final results be disclosed through proper scientific channels when a study is completed and evaluated. There was no in tention of withholding adverse data. Under MCA rules, all data developed under its auspices must be promptly reported pub licly. Without exception, this has been done with all data on vinyl chloride. U.S. government scientists knew of Maltoni's preliminary results early in 1973 but considered them to be as preliminary as did U.S. industry. At the Second Inter national Symposium on Cancer Detection and Prevention in Bologna. Italy, 9 to 12 April 1973, Maitoni showed a table of pre liminary results linking vinyl chloride with cancer formation (which was not published until 1974) (J). Umberto Saffiotti. asso ciate director of carcinogenesis at the Na tional Cancer Institute, was present at the meeting and subsequently discussed the re sults with Maitoni at his Italian laboratory (4). Saffiotti felt that the work should be included in "a well documented report" to be assessed by a review panel of the World Health Organization's International. centrations frequently far above current standards have not demonstrated any car cinogenicity to humans." Thus the state ment by Edsall that MCA ". . . appears to have deliberately deceived NIOSH regard ing the true facts" is inaccurate and mis leading. Albert C. Clark Manufacturing Chemists Association. 1825 Connecticut Avenue. NW. Washington. D C. 20009 References 1. T. R. Torkelson. F. Oyen. V. K. Rowe. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 22. 354(1961); R. H. Wilson. W. E. McCormick, C. F. Tatum. J. L. Crocch. J. Am. Med. Assoc. Ml, 5T7 (l67i E D. Baretu. R. D. Stewart. i. E Mulchler. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 30.537 (1969). 2. B. D. Dinman. W. A. Cook. W. M. Whuehous*. H. J. Magnuson, T. Ditcheck, Arch. Environ. Health 22, 61 (1971); W. A. Cook. P. M. Giever. B. D. Oinman. H. i. Magnuson, ibid., p. 74; V. N. Dod son. B. D. Dinman, W. M. Whilehouse. A. N. M. Nasf. H. J. Magnuson, ibid., p. SJ: C. G. Kramer, and J. E- Mulchler, A m Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 33. 19 (1972). 3. C. Maitoni, Excerpia Med. ini. Congr. Ser. Ho. 275(1974). p. 4. 4. G. Saffiotti. in U.S. Senate, Committee on Com merce. Subcommittee on Environment, Vinyl Chloride (93rd Congress. 2nd session. 1974), pp, 54-56. ' References I. Committee on Science and Public Policy. The Lift Sciences (National Academy of Sciences, Wash ington. D.C_ 1970). p. 432. 2_ G. Mclntire. Environment iSt. Louis! 14 (No. 6). 14(1972). 3. A. Stringer, J. A. Pickard, C. H. Lyons. Pestic Set. S. 587(1974). 4. F. Moriarty, tfewSci. 53. 594 (1972). 5. J, L. Hameiink. R. C. Waybram. R. C. Salt Trans Am. Fish. Soc. 100. 207(1971). 6. G. R. Harvey. Oceanus 18. 19(1974). 7. J. W. Kanwisher. "DDT in the marine environ ment" (chairman's draft of an ad hoc committee report National Academy of Science*. Washing ton, D.C.. 1973); G. R. Harvey, "DDT in me marine environment--A review of present under standing" (draft of an ad hoc committee report, National Aadcmy af Sciences. Washington, D C., 1973). I am glad to note that, as Clark's letter points out, there was research by Ameri can industry on the toxicity of vinyl chlo ride, beginning several years before 1970. In this work, however, what have proved to be the major hazards were not discovered; if they had been, the later story would have been very different. 1 am obliged also for Clark's correction regarding the pre cautionary label, which did in fact make reference to malignant tumors in rats pro- 174 --------- " " SCIENCE. VOL 189 RSV 0006467 duced by "repeated long-term high lev< The need of the future, however, is to de used fossil fuel, with or without exposures." The attitude expressed in velop less persistent and more specific pes passing through a conversion process. Ex- Clark's letter, however, illustrates the ma ticides chat can be directed against a nar imples would be raising steam in an in- jor point that caused concern to the Com row range of target species, while doing jineraftv using raw refuse, or in a suspen mittee on Scientific Freedom and Respon little or no damage to others. sion boiler designed for processed refuse- sibility. The extremely ominous findings in John T. Edsall derived fue\. or using the fuel gas from the animal studies did not trigger any ma Biological Laboratories. pyrolysis of solid wastes. In a given appli jor alarm until cases of cancer in factory Harvard University, cation, the ne'X.form of fuel may operate workers exposed to vinyl chloride began to Cambridge. Massachusetts 02138 with the same, greater, or lower efficiency be reported. This has been in the past the than the fuel it is replacing. Thus the sub general attitude regarding such problems; I believe that it is now out of date. New re agents introduced into industry on a large 1. B. Ames. F D, Lee. W. . Dursion, Proc. Mail.| Sa. U.S.A. 70. 782 (1973). 2. T. Jukes, iVaturwutcnjehaften 61. 6 (1974). stitution equivalence is defined as the 3mouni of fuel in the\ew form that must be used to replace the conventional fuel in scale should be regarded as dangerous un a specific application. The substitution til proved safe. Precautions to protect equivalence should be used as the basis for workers from inhaling or absorbing them energy policy planning and not the should be built in from the very start, rath Energy Equivalents arithmetic equivalence, as seeqiingly is er than being superimposed later, after done now. damage has become apparent. Carcino Thtt recent interest in alternative energy Harvey'Alter genic substances usually take years to pro irees--in particular, energy derived National Center for Resource Recovery. duce cancers; we should not wait for the frim solid wastes--has prompted whai Inc.. 121! Connecticut Avenue. ;VVf, cancers to appear in human subjects before mly be described as a new parlor game of Washington. D.C. 20036 taking action. Fortunately the work of quoting energy equivalents of the new Ames et al. (/) and others has shown sources. For example, the potential of a that carcinogens are generally mutagens. new fuel is frequently quoted as the equiva Screening of chemicals for mutageni lent of so many barrels of oil, implying Misplaced Research city can be carried out fairly rapidly. With Lhan the new Fuel could be so converted. the techniques available today we can thus The^potcniial fqr deriving some form of I wisikto draw attention to the fact that often obtain an early warning of danger, energy from solkl wastes expressed this Banting a\d Best worked at the University but negative results on mutagenicity tests way pearly ignored the laws of thermody-* of Toronto\and not at the University of should not be cause for complacency. namics. To avoid irror and confusion. I Ontario, as\indicated in Thomas H. Highly toxic substances may be nonmuca- prop ose a new vocabulary. Maugh's article on diabetes (Research genic. 1 suggest that the product of the given News, 30 MayAp. 920). A University of 1 thank Edwards and others for correct mass of fuel. M, the h\ac of combustion, Ontario is nonexistent. ing the erroneous statement that DDT A/fe, and the conversioi^factor. F. that is Arthur M. Timms brought a halt to a cholera epidemic. It comnonly used to exp ss the energy Conservation Counetkof Ontario. was of course a typhus epidemic that was valu< in barrels of oil (o v some similar 45 Charles Street EastS halted by DDT. How this error slipped news?eak unit) be termed me arithmetic Toronto. Ontario M4Y\52 through l do not know, the error is in any equisilence, MtHeF, of theWw source, case mine, not that of the committee. This This term could serve to alerftaudiences point will be corrected in all reprints. that caiing of new sources in kich units One can add to the references cited by does not mean, nor imply, thatVhe new Sounds of Science Edwards a recent review on insecticides by sour :e could physically or chemically be Jukes (2) which contains a vigorous de conv irted to the form described tW the This autumn quarter I will conduct, for fense of the value and safety of DDT. the second time, a seminar enmledVSongs Some of the environmental damage that Besides being used as a fuel directly Vor about science." t would appreciate dona has been charged to DDT was probably example, in incineration) solid wastes ma tions of lyrics or music relating in anw*ay unreal or greatly exaggerated; some was be c inverted to some other form by me\ to any area of science in its broadest sense. probably due to other substances, such as chanical, chemical, or biological means to' If you have taped or recorded material the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), which most analysts long failed to distin guish from DDT and its breakdown pro ducts. Nevertheless the official decision to ban DDT for nearly all uses in the United States was not arbitrary or capricious; it was taken after prolonged heartngs, with presentation of a profusion of evidence by produce a unit of new fuel with a higher heat of combustion, The conversion process will use energy, and the law of conversion of mass-energy dictates M& 1e 2 M'^H'c where M` is the mass of product fuel. Therefore, the conversion equt valence of feedstock M can be defined as W'AH\F. Alternatively,, the con- (which you could reproduce, or if you war or play some science songs. I will be\ pleased to send blank cassette tapes. There is relatively little professionally recorded musio, relating to science. Most science songs are written and performed by ama teurs (usually students and scientists); few of these arc ever published or recorded both sides. The case for using DDT in vers on equivalence may be defined as the and, in general, are rapidly lost. Frequently countries where malaria is a serious prob arid meric equivalence less the energy in these amateur works provide penetrating lem is far stronger. To my knowledge there put and losses of the particular process. commentaries 'pn science and scientists. is no adequate substitute for the spraying The two definitions of conversion equiva- Thus l feel thatNrhis rare art form should of interior walls of houses with DDT solu leno; differ slightly, particularly in ease of be collected, pressed, and studied. tions as an essential element in a malaria computation. However, the differences in John D. Spikes control program. I would oppose any poli value may not be great. Department o/Bioio% cy of denying such countries the ability to The new fuel source may be used as a University ofU(ah. purchase and use DDT for these purposes. supplement , to, or substitute for. a com Salt LakeCity84112 18 JULY I97S 175 RS V 0006468