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?

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