Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 44
1 A. I think it is on page 111.
2 Q. I think it is the third page of the document?
A. Right.
3
Q. Yes.
4 A. It is a list of chemicals that have been detected in
scientific experiments involving the burning or, if you
5 will, baking of polystyrene foam. It is actually, the
reference is a list of a total of 69 articles dealing with
6 the subject that they have identified in their literature
research.
7
Q. Right. To put this all in context, what is the general
8 conclusion of this report before we go any further?
A. Well, the report, if you go to page 128.
9
Q. Wait a minute. The numbers are at the top right?
10 A. This conclusion simply stated, identifies a number of
products that are related to the decomposition through
11 fire or heat of polystyrene". It makes several statements
about the material. But, in general, I would note that
12 also it makes note that there are certain effects related
to the burning of polystyrene in the presence of test
13 animals.
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Hold on a moment. Which part are you
looking at?
15 A. It is the final page before the list of references or
which -----
16
Q. How does the page start?
17 A. It starts: "19.3 mgl to the negative 1.
18 MR. MORRIS: "While in the dynamic exposure tests".
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Unfortunately, the left hand side of my page
is cut off so, if it is important, I would like a full
20 copy of it. Which bit are you looking at?
A. It begins on the left side with Conclusions. Now, it
21 states that the burning of polystyrene in comparison to
other materials appears to be -- is among the least
22 toxic. It, nonetheless, makes note of and the table 1
list of chemicals that are produced.
23
Now, this research was undertaken because during the
24 period of the campaign, McDonald's began suggesting that
they would like to, or that they were pursuing the option
25 of developing incinerators at their restaurants, and that
this would be an acceptable way to deal with the
26 polystyrene issue.
27 MR. MORRIS: This conclusion of this report, it says there are
seven conclusions?
28 A. Yes, there are seven points. I do not wish to read
them, but I think that amongst them, they note that there
29 are toxic effects associated with the burning of
polystyrene in laboratory experiments with animals; that
30 there are considerable degrees of variation in the ways in
which these composition products occur, but that in the
