Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 37
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Paragraph B?
A. Under B, the second paragraph: " Forty-six composite
2 samples were prepared from the FY 82" - that is fiscal
year 1982 --"NHATS" -- that is the National Human Adipose
3 Tissue Survey -- "repository according to a study design
prepared by the EPA/OTS -- that is Environmental
4 Protection Agency/office of Toxic Substances -- I believe
Design and Development Branch contractor, Battelle
5 Columbus Laboratories. The composite samples represent
the nine US census divisions stratified by three age
6 groups (0-14, 15-44, and 45 plus)".
7 If you go to the top of page 4 you will note it says:
"Several compounds, including styrene the xylene isomers,
8 1,4-dichlorobenzene and ethylphenol were detected in all
composite samples. Table 1 presents the incidence of
9 detection for the selected target analytes and the range
of concentrations observed. Qualitative summaries of the
10 incidence of detection based on age group and census
division are presented in Tables 2 through 5". I would
11 call your attention to table one on page 5, the 12th
chemical I believe.
12
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes?
13 A. Styrene is observed 100 per cent at the time in these
fact tissue samples.
14
MR. MORRIS: So for the 46 samples, which are 46 people, 100
15 per cent of them had styrene residues in tissue?
A. That is correct; that is how I understand this
16 document.
17 Q. Is 46 a standard sample? Is it a high or a low?
A. Well, in a general sense statisticians will say that
18 the number 30 is a number that is adequate for a sample
size in order to establish some degree of confidence that
19 your results are not just a random occurrence.
20 Q. Here we have a 100 per cent record in any case?
A. That is what this says.
21
Q. Are there any implications of styrene being found in human
22 tissue or that you could identify in your campaign?
A. Repeat that.
23
Q. What were the implications of styrene being found in human
24 tissue as far as you understand it?
A. Well, the question arises from this type of research,
25 that if there is this kind of contamination in human fat
tissue in the United States might it be caused by or
26 associated with in any way the use of styrofoam or
polystyrene foam food packages? So the second question
27 is, is there any evidence to suggest that foam food
packaging leeches any sorts of substances into food and
28 in particular if it is capable of leeching the chemical
styrene.
29
Q. What are the actual problems -- what are the known -- what
30 are the possible problems with having styrene attach
itself to human tissue?
