Document rV2n7gJp1mOzeR1VrKLyL0ea

0S/0V2003 11:09 FA:! 614231515S /T' NATSONASSOCIiT 0 U JD/ UUb cc: Hr. D-S- . .Mfiron - ME RISING & STRAND OP/BO akti e m o la a TO.cro*i at ki POtffrlftO, 444J HtMutf M/4K>*Ol rtutx* TOOK HOIM v IVCArAVM 47 November 28, 1966 Monsanto Europe BRUSSELS 5 Belgium For the attention of Mr. D. WOOD I>es.r David, re; A.ROCLORS As mentioned, there has been some publicity tn Sweden,, concerning Investigations made at the Institub^QEL-eir^ Analytical Chemistry at the Stookholtn University, These ha.ve revealed that a group of products called Polychlorinated B1-PhenolE - PCB for snort - accumulated in certain organs of animals. They are said to be related to BDT and equally polsonuoue. The findings were discussed at a meeting of scientists at the Wenner-Gren Centre in Stockholm on November . Below please find a translation of an article in the Swedish daily paper "Bagens Nyheter":- "It is found in salmon and in pike. It .is found in 3ea eagle living on fish. It is found,'.da thv- sur face of the needles of the fir trees, ty3at is ^n the air. It is found in the hair of t five months baby... * "J . .! The scientists working with biocides have for ahlong time seen this something as unknown"peeks',' on ythelr gas chromatographs and at a meeting'-ait the Wenner- Oren Center, Research Assistant SSren''Jensen of the Institution for Analytical Chemistry at the Stock holm University could reveal the identity of these peeks. It has been found that they consist of a group of poisons. Polychlorinated Biphenols (for short PCB) which are closely related to, and equally poisonous as, DDT. FOB is broken down considerably slower than DDT and gives rise to dam&g/of liver and skin. PCB is not HONS 090078 EXHIBIT WkPM-5 TOWOLDMON0003181 WATER_PCB-00000203 K A N D MESA, Brussels - Mr. D. Wood 2. used as narblalde. Ik Is not manufactured In Sweden but Is supposed to used by the Industry to quite some extent. Mo special industry can so far be accused of being the source of contamination. Research Asst. 3. Jensen has tested 200 fishes and a number of birds. He has taken several samples of air and has readied the conclusion that PCS is squally common In Nature as ohlorinated hydrocarbons of the type of DOT, DDE, and Lindane. Even ri6h in Laddjojmure in Lapland contain PCB. Hr. Jensen has also found that PCB does not appear in animals living on a vegetarian diet, such as the elk. In the oourse of his work, Mr. Jensen has not found anything indicating that the source of contamina tion ooraee from Agricultural additives. It is, however, obvious already now that PCB is most frequently round in organisms living in water or feeding from water animals. In all examined pikes PCB was found. In a sea eagle round dead outside Stockholm it was found that the liver contained 30 mg of mercury per kilo, f6 mg DOT and consider able more PCB. The exact figure h&6 hot yet been ~determined. PCB la found in water and in air, and not only in the Swedish air, but also in t'.g, London air. Mr. Jensen has not yet been in London for sampling but could identify the poison by studying a gas chromatogram of air published in a British techni cal Journal. 5. Mr. Jensen hap also examined the hair of his family and himself and has found PCB on all samples. Most PCB was found in the hair of his wife but most sensational was that the girl aged 3 months had more PCB in her hair than her brothers and alstera of 3 and 6 years. Probably the girl had got the poison via the mother's milk. In the State Museum Mr. Jensen has examined the whole collection of sea eagles datin' back to 1880. By testing it could be established tnat PCB was present only in birds from 1944 and thereafter while birds colleoted before 1944 were quite free from PCB. The use of PCB in Sweden is not established in detail. Aocording to American sources these types of products are used in the manuraoture of a variety of heatreslstant materials. They are used for electrical Insulation, for fire-proof heat transport In hydraulic oils. In lubrloatlng oils used at high MOHS 090521 TOWOLDMONOOQ3182 i : ua Kir, t. i 4i-u Jr- M I UUKftSSUL'lA iis IIISINC A STRAND JSA, Brussels - Mr, D. Woo . ItflVJti/tK'ti temperature and pressure, in paints and as pig ments in various plastics. PCB is not imported only as such. It is also part or several finished products. Nothing is known as to the way in which ifc reaches the water and the air. According to Mr. Jensen, products containing PCB should have this openly declared. PCB is equally harmful whether absorbed via the skin, through the food, or by inhalation. In con tact With the skin it can oause dema. For DDT the highest permissible concentration in the air has been set at 0-5 - 1 mg/cu,metre. For PCB it has been mentioned to be 0.J mg/cu.metre. Mr. Jensen will now try to get more complete analytical material. He hopes eventually to be able to disclose the source of the contamination and will also increase his cooperation with tDxooologiats and geneologists." Another daily paper, Svenska Dagbladet, has a similar article, Here it Is mentioned that Mr. Jenaan, work ing under Laborator (Professor) Gunner Widmark, has disclosed facts which will have far-reaching Importance since the findings have proved a new source of pollu tion or the nature. One of the participants at the meeting was Dr. A.v. Holder, of Scotland, scientific.contact man between the twelve Q.E.C.D. oountriee, who has established coordinated analysis of chemicals used and found m nature. 1 suppose there ie no doubt that what has been termed Polychlorinated Biphenyls is equal to Aroclor. There is also no doubt tnat the published facts will cause considerable unrest in several quarters. We probably will have to have Arcelor registered with the Swedish Board of Poisonous Substance a and the industry will have to be particularly careful in handling the material. The problem in some oases of oourse may be the disposal of used material, I understand that there hardly exists a convenient method of destroying Aroclor and that possibly burying unuseable material may be the only answer. We shall be glad to hear from you soon. Yours sincerely MOWS 090080 RISING && STIRRAWNb u .._*)iAG StRANO TOWOLDMON0003183 WATER_PCB-00000205