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 [email protected] .