Natural Perspectives -- Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray
Over the past two decades, Americans have largely forgotten about the
once-feared initials PCB, which stand for polychlorinated biphenyls. But
they’re back in the news, they’re here in Huntington Beach, and we have
reason to be afraid.
In preparation for restoration of the Bolsa Chica wetlands, soil
testing was performed in the late 1990s. This limited sampling turned up
PCB contamination in the soil on the 42-acre former Fieldstone property
in the back Bolsa near Graham Street. The state had planned to purchase
the land to add to the area slated for restoration, but the finding of
toxics on the property put the transaction on hold.
It was PCB toxicity, and its persistence in the environment, that led
Congress to pass the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976. This bill
outlawed the production and use of PCBs, which are man-made organic
chemicals that can occur in mixes of nearly 200 different forms. These
highly hazardous oily liquids or waxy solids can cause cancer after
exposure to even a tiny amount.
Prior to their ban PCBs were used in electrical insulators,
capacitors, transformers, in hydraulic fluid, in pesticides, and as
plasticizers in paint, plastic, adhesive and rubber compounds. In one
example of usage, power transformers and other pieces of high voltage
equipment may be filled with oil to improve internal heat distribution
and dissipation. PCBs were used as an additive to the oil because they
increased the heat transfer ability of the oil without affecting its
insulating properties.
In our area Toxic Substances Control, a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency, is responsible for dealing with residual
PCB contamination. The problem of how to handle the situation at Bolsa
Chica was turned over to them just two months ago.
No one knows how long the PCBs have been there or who dumped them, but
Hearthside Homes, the current landowner, will probably be held
responsible for cleanup. At this time, the full extent of contamination
is not known. Limited sampling has shown at least 1.5 acres to be
contaminated, but the area may extend beyond that. Until they can do
further testing and determine how large an area is contaminated, the
Department of Toxic Substances Control issued an order to fence the area
and post it, which Hearthside did.
But someone cut the fence. It seems that this area is a popular, but
illegal, dirt bike area. Kids have built elaborate bike ramps, moguls,
and massive earthworks in the dusty field between the Wintersburg Flood
Control Channel and the known PCB-contaminated area. People who
trespassed on the back Bolsa by walking their dogs or riding their
bicycles -- and lots of people did that before the area was fenced -- may
have been exposed to the dumped PCBs which soaked into the soil.
According to Jeanne Garcia, a spokesperson with the Department of
Toxic Substances Control, PCBs don’t migrate through soil, but they do
migrate with it. They bind to dirt particles and can either blow away or
wash away. PCBs may be in dust that has been blowing off the Bolsa Chica
toward homes for decades. It may be in sediments that accumulate in Bolsa
Bay and Huntington Harbour. Garcia said her agency has become involved
too recently to know the full extent of contamination. Thus PCB exposure
may be much wider than currently believed.
Biological damage caused by PCBs is well documented. PCBs bind readily
to DNA in living cells, where they cause damage. Every mix of PCBs tested
caused cancer in animals. People who worked with PCBs have higher rates
of liver cancer and melanoma, a skin cancer.
Following their release into the environment, PCBs change in
composition. Unfortunately, the types of PCBs that persist and are most
likely to bind to soil are also the types that are most likely to cause
cancer. This means that people exposed to PCBs in the environment are
being exposed to the compounds most likely to harm their health.
Cancer isn’t the only concern with PCBs. They damage the immune
system, the reproductive system, and the endocrine system. People exposed
to PCBs are more likely to have suppressed immune systems, more likely to
fall prey to viral and bacterial infections, and more likely to develop
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. The really scary
thing is that scientists could not find any exposure level low enough to
avoid damage to the immune system.
PCB exposure also results in fewer live births, more premature births,
and lower birth weights. It reduces production of thyroid hormone, which
is necessary for normal growth and development. It also can cause
chloracne, a skin condition.
Children should not be playing near this stuff. If you think that you
or your children might have been exposed, tell your doctor. Garcia said
one part PCB per million would be of concern. Preliminary testing near
where the children are riding their bikes at Bolsa Chica showed
contamination of up to 3,200 parts per million PCBs.
There is action you can take. Get your children out of the back Bolsa
Chica wetlands. Stop hiking, bike riding and dog walking there. It’s not
only illegal, it’s hazardous to your health.
* VIC LEIPZIG PhD and LOU MURRAY PhD are Huntington Beach residents
and environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 vicleipzig@aol.comf7 .
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