Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 38
1 A. Well, the research that I have done and my experience
within environmental organisations that I have worked with
2 and in is that there are a number of general concerns
regarding the contamination of human fat tissue with toxic
3 chemicals. They are a matter of a great deal of
scientific debate, so that you could find experts to argue
4 basically whatever position you wanted.
5 The question that comes up is whether or not this
statement by the Polystyrene Packaging Council in the
6 previous document we were referring to that it is not a
problem in humans is questioned by Mr. Baggett in his
7 report, where he identifies the scientific research
literature that addresses the problems associated with
8 polystyrene in human fat tissue. So if I may I would call
your attention to page 6 of Mr. Baggett's literature
9 review.
10 Q. Say that again?
A. The literature.
11
Q. The document again?
12 A. The literature review is headed Styrene Migration Into
Human Adipose Tissue.
13
MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is styrene not polystyrene?
14 A. That is correct. That is what we have been
addressing; that there is residue in polystyrene food
15 packaging that has been acknowledged by the packaging
council to be as a contaminant in the polystyrene food
16 package.
17 MR. MORRIS: That passes into some foods?
A. The second issue is that it can move from the package
18 into the food.
19 Q. What is the point in that, you are referring to us in that
document?
20 A. Page 6, there is, second paragraph, Mr. Baggett
identifies research in the literature regarding the ways
21 in which, in the second paragraph he identifies the
Scandinavian study which, well, he identifies a
22 Scandinavian study which he says examines the movement of
styrene in the body, and they use what he says is a
23 radio-labelled styrene; he further notes that it is not
simply a matter of the styrene itself, but the metabolites
24 of styrene, and here I quote: "The metabolites".
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Where are you quoting?
A. Second paragraph, last sentence.
26
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Page 6?
27 A. That is right, second paragraph, last sentence: "The
metabolites of styrene are mandelic acid, a known mutagen
28 and styrene-7, 8-oxide, a known carcinogen." The
references are number 40 and 41. I will read into the
29 records those titles.
30 MR. MORRIS: I do not think we need go on. Read those ones?
A. 40 is Monograph of Human Exposure to Chemicals in the
