PCB's and Country Life

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EDITORS NOTE: This has been the second installment of a twopart feature. For more information on PCB's—who uses them, their hiological effects, and the extent of their distribution in the environment—see Part I of Ron Nehrig's story, which appeared on pages 22-25 of MOTHER NO. 41.

PCB LEVELS IN THE U.S. POPULATION

Taken from the proceedings of the National Conference on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (November 19-21, 1975, Chicago, Illinois) and from "Review of PCB Levels in the Environment", January 1976 . . . both published by the Office of Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 20460.

BEFORE YOU PUT SLUDGE ON YOUR LAND:

[1] Find out if the city supplying that sludge has performed any tests to detect PCB's, heavy metals (cadmium, zinc, etc.), and/or pesticide residues in its processed wastes. Don't listen to oral assurances. Get the test results in writing.

[2] Attempt to identify the wastes that are being dumped into the city sewer by local industries. Is there a capacitor manufacturer that uses PCB's in town? (See the table on page 24, MOTHER NO. 41.) Is there a nearby paperrecycling plant that may be discharging PCB-contaminated ink residues? (Until recently, printer's inks were just one of the many products that contained PCB's.) Ask around. See what you can find out.

[3] If in doubt, try to have sludge samples tested for PCB's and other contaminants by the city laboratory (if one exists where you live), a nearby university, or the State Board of Health. Or pay a private lab to make the necessary tests. One such facility is operated by the WARF Institute, P.O. Box 2599, Madison, Wis. 53701. (They'll perform PCB tests at a cost of approximately $40 per sample.)

Sludge is inexpensive, plentiful, and rich in plant nutrients, but can—if it's contaminated with industrial chemicals—pose a threat to human (and animal) health when used as fertilizer. So find out what lurks in your city's sludge before you "pile it on thick".

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