Training starts for PCB testing

Some 15 people, mostly personnel of the Commonwealth Health Center, begin their one-week training today under the supervision of a representative from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for the scheduled medical testing of Tanapag residents who were believed affected by the widespread contamination of polychlorinated biphenyls in the village.

Dr. Gershon Henoch Berguinsen met with CHC staff and representatives of the community yesterday for the health assessment at the site.

DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said his office will set up a clinic in Tanapag to facilitate the testing of residents in the village where a huge number of people are expected to turn out.

PCB testing will include taking of blood, body fat or breast milk samples to determine whether residents have been exposed to higher levels of PCBs. Immediately after the training, Mr. Villagomez said health testings will be conducted in the community.

The arrival of a medical expert from ATSDR was based on a request earlier made by Mr. Villagomez to help the CNMI in addressing PCB-related health problems in the village.

PCBs are a family of man-made chemicals that includes 209 different compounds, some more poisonous than others. PCBs enter the body through contaminated food and air and through skin contact. Eating fish and shellfish from PCB-contaminated water is the most common way people get exposed.

Based on the preliminary review of the people’s medical records in Tanapag, CHC has seen an increase in incidence of cancer cases and chromosomal abnormalities among the residents.

Symptoms of PCB poisoning found in humans can be grouped into the following categories: dermal, ocular, respiratory, neurological signs and others which include irregular menstrual cycles, general fatigue and anorexia.

A human health evaluation of PCB contamination was earlier conducted in Tanapag village by Ogden Environmental and Energy Services Co. Inc., but this was only carried out through written and ethnographic research.

The study showed that there is no direct relationship between the symptoms known to be associated with human exposure to PCB contamination, and the exposure of Tanapag residents to PCBs.

However, a final report of the health study deleted important recommendations of experts which include the implementation of a biologically-based health risk assessment of past and present residents of Tanapag who could have been exposed to PCB contamination through a segment sample of the village population.