Document RpdRJmRNvKdrMRyN4vOba1oLB

Q. Do PCBs cause cancer? . A. Evidence is that chlorinated biphenols will cause liver damage when absorbed into the body and will cause an acneform dermatitis when applied to the skin. (Fassett & Irish, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE & TOXICOLOGY vol. II, Interscience, 1963) Some animal studies have reported cancer from PCBs; others have not. There are also allegations that PCBs cause cancer in man, but we have no confirmative evidence. (Note: According to toxicologist George Levinskas, even if PCBs do cause cancer, that would not happen until long after the liver has been virtually destroyed). Q. What did PCBs do to the workers who manufactured the material? A. We had few problems. Two incidents of chloro-acne among workers -pfie at a Mohsanto plant in the 1930's and one on ships during World War II -- were both traced to impurities, and not to the PCBs themselves. Presently, Monsanto is conducting an epidemiological study of 300 workers who were employed in the manufacture of PCBs at one time or another. We are aware of a 1976 Mobil Oil Corporation study which reported a higher-than-expected incidence of melanoma and pancreatic cancers. Monsanto's study, which involves more than four times as many subjects, is still ongoing: We expect to have preliminary results within 6 months. Q. What kind of testing has Monsanto done on PCBs? What tests are underway at this time? A. In the past, when questions arose about worker safety, Monsanto conducted a number of subacute inhalation studies with rats. We used the data from these tests to set the threshold exposure for our workers. In the late 1960's, we initiated an extended series of studies on rats, dogs, chickens and other animals, and made our information available to the regulatory agencies. Because of growing evidence independent of these studies that PCBs presented hazards to the environment, Monsanto took action in 1971 to stop manufacture and sale of PCBs to uses in open applications. Results of our animal studies were later used by FDA to set acceptable levels for human ingestion. At present, Monsanto is sponsoring a long-term study of the . effect of PCBs on monkeys -- looking at health and also reproductive effects. 0S3S045 EX P-3234 Page 1 of 4 PCB-ARCH0754576 -2- Q. What do PCBs actually do to the environment? A. The original advantage of PCBs over other electrical Insulating material has turned out to be the cause of present environmental problems. A heavy, oily liquid, PCB is almost inert, and will burn only under extremely high temperatures. The material is not soluble in water, which is why it persists in our waterways; it is soluble in fat, which is why fish in PCB-contaminated rivers and lakes have measurable amounts of PCB in their fatty tissues. Based on animal and 1968 human data from Yusho, Japan -- where a large number of people ate rice oil that had been contaminated with PCBs -- the FDA set what it believed were safe limits for human ingestion of PCB over long periods. This amount -- 1 microgram of PCB per kilogram of body weight per day -- was then used to set acceptable tolerances in foods. The limit in fish, for example, is 5 ppm. The FDA monitors the levels of PCB in foods on a regular basis. Q. When did Monsanto begin manufacturing PCBs? Why? A. PCBs were originated by Swann Corp. (purchased by Monsanto in 1935) in 1929 in response to the electrical industry's need for an explosionproof insulating fluid for transformers. PCBs remained the "Cadillac" of the insulating materials, used in about 15 percent of electrical applicationsiwhete special safety needs existed. Over the years, other applications were found for PCBs in heat-transfer systems, sealants, adhesives, painting inks and insecticides. Q. When did Monsanto stop making PCBs? A. In 1971 after scientific investigations had confirmed the presence of PCBs in the U.S. environment, Monsanto terminated sales of PCB to all non-electrical (open) applications. At the same time, we began publicizing potential environmental problems and the need to prevent entry of PCBs into the environment. /Rote: the Anniston, Ala., PCB facility was shut down at that time. Presence (or absence) of this facility has not been emphasized in the press./ In July, 1977, the company ceased manufacturing PCBs altogether.with all inventory distributed by October 31, 1977. The reason for the delay in getting out of the business was demand by our customers for a material which would prevent the possibility of electrical fires in apartment buildings and other high-population areas. Mineral oils -- used in most other applications -- have a stability problem that makes them potentially hazardous. In fact, fire, insurance, building and electrical codes in many parts of the country have traditionally EX P-3234 5046 'l Page 2 of 4 PCB-ARCH075457" 3- required use of PCBs in high, density population applications. Monsanto's timetable for withdrawal from the PCB business had the endorsement of the federal government; in 1975 then EPA administrator Russell Train said he would not ask Monsanto to stop PCB production because that would shut down the electrical power industry and railroads in short order. . Q. Does anyone else still manufacture PCBs? A. PCBs are still being manufactured in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and certain eastern European countries. Monsanto ceased manufacturing PCBs in Newport, S. Wales. Theoretically, the material could be imported into the U.S. market until 1/1/79 under TSCA. Q. What is Monsanto doing to clean up the environment? A. There is no known technology that will guarantee 100% collection and disposal of PCBs from mud and silt bottoms of waterways. Dredging, for instance, doesn't do much but recirculate PCBs which have settled into the bottom of the waterway. Right now, incineration is the best known technology for destroying PCBs. A ieading incineration service is developing equipment that will shred a PCB capacitor and then incinerate the liquid in one operation. For several years, Monsanto operated a small incinerator at our Krummrich plant to help customers destroy PCB waste liquids; a rag or other material contaminated by PCBs could not be incinerated there. The incinerator is being dismantled since more effective incineration capacity is available elsewhere. The incinerator will be disposed of in an approved landfill for hazardous waste. Q. What else is being done to get rid of PCBs? A. The Ontario Foundation in Canada, General Electric's Schenectady Lab, and the Institute of Fermentation in Japan are attempting to develop bacteria which will break down PCBs. Also, in November, 1977, MIT reported a new method of destroying PCBs in water by using high-energy electrons. Q. Are there any lawsuits pending against Monsanto for producing PCBs? For how much? A. A number of class action lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto, alleging damages and claiming that Monsanto failed to warn of the alleged dangers of PCBs. Altogether, the claims against Monsanto total more than $2,000,000,000 (2 billion). . EX P-3234 Page 3 of 40*350*7 PCB-ARCH0754578 4. Q. Did Monsanto fail to warn of PCB dangers? A. No. We didn't have any more 'knowledge of the dangers of PCBs than the public did. As more information was learned about PCBs, Monsanto took appropriate action. Until 1966, when a Swedish scientist first isolated DDT in the environment, no one could measure PCBs. In 1968, the Yusho incident dramatically revealed what the effects of PCBs in the food chain could be on humans. In 1969, PCBs were first reported in bird feathers in the U.S. Q. What about nursing babies? What is the problem of PCBs in mothers' milk? A. The problem is that PCBs persist in the fatty tissues of animals and people who ingest them. In some areas of the country, milk fats in nursing mothers' milk has shown fairly high levels of PCBs; the fear is that these levels will represent a disproportionate amount of the infant diet and eventually have some chronic effect. Q. Where are the most serious PCB pollution problems? A. PCBs have been found most heavily in Lake Michigan, the Hudson River, and the Ohio River. They seem to be located in the vicinity of former industrial users of the material. Q. Are you working with your former customers to do anything about the PCB problem? A. We have been working closely with former customers as they phase out of the PCB business. We keep close watch of studies underway seeking to deal with PCBs in the environment. 0536048 EX P-3234 Page 4 of 4 PCB-ARCH0754579