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Doctors: PCB level among Tanapag residents low
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Posted on Nov 13 2000
Toxicologist Scott Sudweeks and Dr. Robert Johnson disclosed that the level of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl among Tanapag residents is very low to cause any health effects.
“The good news is that level of contamination is not significant in the community. We did not find any measurable level of PCB among children and we are confident that the levels in general will not give any health effects,” said Mr. Sudweeks.
According to Dr. Johnson, the highest level of PCB so far found among residents who were tested was under 36 ppb. The highest level of PCB exposure considered very high and needs medical attention is over 200 ppb.
“We stressed during the village meeting that these people who are a little higher than the average in the community are still not high enough to cause ill effects,” he added.
Some 17 people in the village were found to have high levels of PCB contamination out of the more than 1,000 who underwent blood testing and general medical check-up. The Department of Public Health will only conduct follow-up on the 17 village residents to find out if their exposure will have a different effect.
The two officials from Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry met with Tanapag residents last week to help explain the results of the PCB blood test and health evaluation. They also discussed the health concerns of the people in relation to PCB exposure. ATSDR will come out with a public health assessment report which will be released later this year or in early 2001 which will discuss PCB exposure in Tanapag and its significance to human health.
Dr. Farhana Habib, medical director of the Commonwealth Health Center, and Dr. Richard Brostrom also met with the local people last week to assist in discussing the test results.
The doctors also had to redraw blood from some of the residents for the sugar and potassium level analysis. “There’s still so much to be done to analyze the data that we have and to make sure that Tanapag is a healthy place to live in,” said Dr. Brostrom. (LFR)
