Re: [RML] The most poisonous substance?

dd at dandrake.com
Sat, 25 Jul 98 15:13:12 -0700

In <Pine.GSO.3.95.980720094912.8299A-100000 at supreme>, on 07/20/98
at 09:54 AM, Andrew Boyd <andrew at pcug.org.au> said:

>on toxic substances,
>a)...
>b) do a little research on PCBs (polychlorinated biphenols) when you are
>talking about Agent Orange and it's equivalents in modern industrial use
>- it should scare the stuffing out of you.

Well, brace yourself, because a Free The PCBs campaign seems to be under
way in the US. All those hazards are a bunch of pseudo-science, you know
(just like the slanders against tobacco) and certain people have the money
to prove it! And if it works here, remember, shit flows downhill -- oops,
that sounds somehow vaguely insulting to our overseas friends -- anyway,
the campaign may spread elsewhere.

>As an aside, we used to be able to buy a fairly nasty herbicide at any
>local garden centre here in Australia. It was called Lane's Tree and
>Blackberry Killer and it contained 24-D and 245-T. Residual as all hell,
>and strangely enough not available anymore ;)

The same stuff was a major farm-and-home herbicide in the US in the 60s or
so. Fell out of favor around the time of Vietnam, for some reason.

-- 
Dan Drake
dd at dandrake.com
http://www.dandrake.com/index.html

A hard heart is no infallible protection against a soft head. --C. S. Lewis