Document mb23k3O1DoKQ4gnp1nOyyvay0

POSTMORTEM ON THE PCD DISASTER J. V. Shulzc Cooperative Extension Sorvlee University of Georgia The Peruvian flab meal that waa accidently contaminated with Poly* chlorinated Dipbcnyla (PCD's) at Wilmington, North Carolina, end moved into the feed trade Utls past year coat tho poultry industry millions of dollars in reduced prices and condemned mept and eggs. Before this inci dent, pen's were almost completely unknown to feed manufacturers and poultrymcn. However, PCD'a have been studied since 1981 and have been in wide Industrial usage since 1030. Scversl companies In the United Slates and five foreign countries manufacture PCD'a for various indus trial uses (Gustafson, 10701. The wide spread contamination of the . global ecosystem was reported by ntsebrough_rt nE (1068), Monsanto Chemical Company In the United Slates Is the largest manufacturer and Vacs the trade name Aroelor. The commercially available Aroclors are tb>Mlgnntc<l hy numbers, The first (wo digits represent molecular type: 12-chlorinated biphenyls: 25 and 44-hlcmln of chlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated-tcrphcnyla (75% biphenyl and 60% biphenyl, respectively): 54-chlortnated tcrphenyls. The last two digits give ths weight percent of chlorlno. Thus, Aroelor 1242 Is a chlorinated biphenyl containing 42% chlorine. The left's commercially available from Monsanto range from 21% to 68% chlorlno. Maas spoctographlc studies of Aroelor 1200 show the presence of II Isomers: five containing seven chlorine atoms and one containing eight, ft has been calculated that of the 210 possible combi nations, 102 are probable (Peaka)l_et al^ 1970), The chemical properties which make PCB's desirable Industrial materlala are their excellent thermal stability, etnmg resistance to both acidic and baalo conditions, their resistance to oxidation and their general tnertness which makes them very stable or relatively Inactive compounds. The most Important physical propertlea of the FOR'* are tow vapor pressure, low water solubility and a high dielectric constant. * The largest single use of tho PCB's is related to their electrical pro perties as coolant-insulation fluids In transformers. They srs used In ballasl for flourescent fixtures snd plasticizers In electric wire end esbles. 'I>ur to their thermal properties snd fire resistance, they are used In high pressure hydraulic fluids, specialized lubricants, gasket scalers and machine tool cutting oils. Other miscellaneous uses inelude: binders in epoxy paints, toughening agenU^ In varnishes and waxes, adhesives snd ecrbonlesa carbon paper (Hubbard, 1964). The PCD property which brought about the crisis this past year was Its heat transfer usage. The fllh meal was being pasturlsed because of Salorotncllt contamination. McCumc jrl M. (1982), reported that (Aroelor 1241) PCIVp were moderately toxic when fed at a level of 0.02% and cauan hlgh'merlaltly and extenalve pathology within four weeks at s dietary level of 0.04%. Gross pathology Included hydropericardium, enlarged heart, liver snd kidneys, snd hemorrhage of internal organs. Microscopically the kidneys showed marked tubular .dilation and numerous casts. ` 81 Rchfeldjet nl. (1071), reported (he maximum tolerance of (Aroclor 1840) rove In the chick wee approximately BO ppm. Symptoms observed In the chicks fed PCB's Included depressed weight gain, edema, gasping for breath, hydropericardium, Internal hemorrhaging, dcprenalon of aecondary sexual characteristics and an (ncreaae (n liver aa a percentage of body weight. Several of these symptoms were proeent when levels of more than SO ppm of PCB's were fed. Scott cl M. <1071), reported that PCB's (Aroclor 1248) were transforred to the adipose tissue and eggs of Single Comb White l^ghorna (SCWL) hens at an Increasing rale as tho convsnlratlon waa laereaaed In the feed (Table I).# YAIU 1. hMiht ml Kl* tram ihi ( hM< * <ltt t th* tilft* Hmmi mti t|| out He. 1 1 S. 4 f Kt 1* M Of" 8 e.s l.S 10.0 80.0 . Kt 1* MtfM Tltin 1w TP* 0 4 vk W" 0 l.H 1.14 . l.ll 4.41 10.4 11.7 ' 14.3 M.r 0 <4, 07" 0 1.10 4.(1 17.1 01.7 Kt In l||i 1 vfc 4 4t 4 fc f * ore 00" 00" 00" 00 0 0 o a. m 0 0.10 0.t4 e.i* 0.33 0.1) 0.4* 0.10 e.4 0.13 0.4) 1.03 i.n 1.11 S.ll 3.04 1.1* 4.51 3.17 3.71 7.C4 <MMltT IHI, n. L. Itell *71 Aftsr eight weeke of feeding ) ppm PCIVs In the feed the hen contained 0,02 ppm In the adipose tissue and 0,41 ppm In the eggs. Feeding 20 ppm resulted In 02,7 ppm in the adipose tissue, 7.04 ppm In the egg and about a 13% reduction In egg production. Breaking strength of egg sheila from bens receiving graded levels of PCB's was not affected. Ilatchablllty was 72% of normal when the egg contained 2.2 ppm.. Ilstchabittty was about 86% of normal when the PCB concentration In the egg reached 4.8 ppm. Higher levels of PCB'a In the egg-virtually eliminated hatchability. Depletion of PCB's from the. adipose tissue or egge wae not enhenced by feeding a low energy diet compared to that of feeding a standard diet. , * Dahlgrcn and Linder, (1971), reported that (Aroclor I2S4) PCB'a fed to pheasants at 28 mg per week for seventeen weeks significantly depressed egg production and Increased the number of pips. Even though weekly weight changes of hens, fertility snd hatchability of eggs, mortality of adults and egg shell thickness did not appear to be affected by PCB's, total reproductive aucceea was depressed. Mortality of chicks from hatching to eix weeks of age was highly significantly greater In the off spring from hens fed 80 mg PCB'a weekly. - Data collected from commercial Single Comb While Leghorn (SCWL) breeders by Shutae el ali (1971) on two different poultry farms under field conditions indicate that hatchability was lees than 0.5% when the (Aroclor o<t<aoo HONS L 1243) mV* were nbovo 2.$ ppm. Adipose tissue contained 36.0 ppm. eggs 2.6 ppm end the complete feed contained 27.0 ppm PCD's from Flock A (Table 21. The fish meal sample obtained apparently was different from that: uaeil In making the feed since It contained only 16.3 ppm Pelt's. When the PCH concentration In the eggs from flock A decreased to 1.6 ppm about a 20? hatch was obtained. In Flocks B and C. adipose tissue and egg samples were 20.4 and 2.6 ppm respectively (Table 31. Flock n (approximately 25,000 hens) was subjected to fourteen days of starvation to determine TMU 2. 20 Conetntrst ten ppm (Flock A) Fish meal body Fat Egg Liver gerum . Compute Feed . It.3 36.0 2.6 12.0 0.6 27.5 2CI Concentration tn the Adipose Tlssuo, Eggs and Percentage htuhabllUy (Flock C> . Veaka Adipose Ttaaua 0 2A.4 2' U.4 4 13.3 6 It .9 g , 9.5 f 10 6.6 Cam 2.50 1.30 t.10 o.gt 0.63 0.72 X Hatch 0 63.0 92.0 92.5 91.4 69.3 the influence of forced molting on the depletion rale of PCll's from the adiitaeue. The PCH concentration of the adipose from 20. 4 ppm to 36,4 ppm during (His pertoa, Tho hens waro destroyed and hurled nl this time. Mock c (Approximately 20,000 hens) was maintained on the standard breeder ration ami monitored weekly for sixteen weeks. These dais ore presented In Table 3, The first eggs were set when the PCU concentration was 1.3 ppm and a hMchablllty of 06% was obtained. When the PCU concentration dropped lo I, I ppm tn the egga, halehabUUy Increased to 02%. As (he PCH concentration decreased the hatchablllty waa maintained between 69 - 02 %. In Mock D (young pujlete) the PCB concentration waa 1J,3 ppm at ten weeks of age and decreased to 2.8 ppm st 19 weeks of aga. Mortality, growth t ale and appearance appeared lo be normal throughout the growing MONS 04^201 The variation In laltornlory rcetilla from (he Home lot of fleh men I y> one form Indicates a wide range In ttw> contamination and possible sampling error. Penults obtained from four hiborotorlos were 165, 200, 857, <} 1675 ppm PCI!. The existing laboratory procedure* leave much <o be deaired when aplll aamplca ore aubmltted to either the time or different laboratories. The PC?! Incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an entire Industry and how It could be bankrupt. A feed quality control program Is certainly desirable bul how many analyses can be economically and practically run on a given feed sample ? UTERATUKK CITED Dahlgren, ft. I), and n. L. Linder, 1071. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on pheasant reproduction, behavior, and survival. J, of Wildlife Mgl, 95: 315-3J0, Ouatnfaon. C, 0., 1070. PCIPi * prevalent and perslslonl. Environmental Science and Technology 4:514-010, tluhbnnl, ft. 5:200, 1064, Encylopcdla of ehcmlcal tech, 2nd Ed, Interstate MoOumn, K, I.,, .1. 1C, Ravage awl 11. f,, O'DHl, 1002. ftydrnperlrardlum ami nactlea In clicks fed chlorinated hydrocarbon, poultry Selene# 41:205-200. . pchfcld, 11, M., It. L. flrndlcy, Jr, and M. L. 8undc, 107], Toxicity aludlrn on polychlorinated biphenyls In the chirk. Poultry Science 50:1000-1000, . fllachrough, It. W., D. It. PcakaD.S, C. Itrrmnn ami M, N. Klrven, 1066, Potychtortnaled biphenyls In the global ecosystem. Nature 220:1006-1102. Scott, M. 1., D. V. Vadehra, P. A. Mullenhoff, G. 1. Ramsey and p. W. Rice, 1071, Results of experiments on the effects of l*CJl's on laying hen performance. Proceedings Cornell Nutrition Conference p. 66-64. fihutie, J, V., O. W. Chsrlos, Tom Hnrrold and ITsrry Johnson, 1071, Case history of braedcr flocks fed PCg contaminated fish meal. In Press. HpqiijiiiiiMpii 54 HONS 044202