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For a shocking wake-up call regarding the state of chemical penetration
into our environment, a look at what is now considered a "classic"
hazardous materials incident and the first indoor environmental disaster,
will help us to understand the seriousness of the problems associated with
the spread of chemicals into and through our environment.
On Thursday February 5, 1981 there was an electrical fire in the basement
of the18 story Binghamton State Office building in upstate New York. A
transformer containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) burned in the basement.
The smoke from the 180 gallons of PCB oil was spread throughout the building
by the air conditioning system. At least 482 people were exposed to chemical
hybrids from the PCB's such as 2,3,7,8 trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD,
the famed dioxin of Agent Orange (which was itself a product of a University
of Hawaii research project) and 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-furan (PCDF,
commonly called furan). Dioxin is deadly even in extremely minute doses.
These represent only three of the hundreds of chemicals present in the
residue soot, ten of which were ever identified (Yulsman, pg. 68). PCB's
are known to be persistent in the fatty tissues.
The cost of physically cleaning up this contaminated building surpassed
the construction costs. Medical studies indicate a number of apparent
abnormalities in people who were exposed during this incident (Yulsman,
pg 68).
The most disturbing aspect of this event though, was the data collected
by Arnold Schecter, professor of Preventive Medicine at the Binghamton branch
of the Upstate Medical Center. Mr. Schecter needed a control group to compare
with the victims of the fire he was studying. This control group was composed
of people completely uninvolved in the Binghamton incident.
According to Mr. Schecter, "Every single one of them had measurable
levels of dioxins and furans" (Yulsman, pg. 68 ). The reason for
the slow reaction our society has made to this problem can partially be
understood by observing that Mr. Schecter was not reappointed as Broome
County Health Commissioner by County Executive Carl Young. Many feel that
this was because of his outspoken criticism of the government's handling
of this incident (Yulsman, pg. 68).
The presence of measurable levels of dioxins and furans (the most carcinogenic
substance known) in a control group of randomly selected citizens is an
ominous harbinger of the extent that the problem with hazardous materials
has already reached.
Another example is that of the Beluga whales which swim in the St. Lawrence.
These whales have PCB levels of 600 parts per million (video- "In
The Company of Whales"). By EPA standards, anything that contains
more than 50 parts per million of PCB's must be disposed of at a Hazardous
Waste facility. The St. Lawrence Belugas are swimming hazardous waste
sites!
Yulsman, T. (186, February 1986). The New Threat From PCB's. Science Digest,
pp. 66-84.
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