With the recent impetus to ir-
radiate foods for longer preser-
vation, there are questions rais-
ed as to the safety of this pro-
cess. The following analysis
about the creation and alteration
of chemicals in the process sug-
gests that it is premature to
declare it safe, independent of

the ramifications of widespread |

dispersal of radio-nuclides in the
environment. |

Mother’s milk, worldwide,
contains many pesticide residues
and the. majority of these are

‘positive animal carcinogens
presenting a general cancer risk
to the children of the world.

It is probable that most of the
contamination is from residues
found on and in foods, |

The finding in mothers’ milk
demonstrates that contamina-
tion of the agricultural environ-
ment is returned to us through
our food to our milk to our
children, who may well carry the
highest future cancer risks due
to bioconcentration.

Nicola Getoof (1986) found
that irradiation induced decom-
position of chlorinated hydro-
carbons in aerated water, with a
stepwise production of many in-
termediate breakdown products,
depending on dosage and oxy-
gen content.

Getoff was able to break
down dichloromethane, chloro-
form, carbontetrachloride,
2-chloroethanl, 1,2-dichloro-
methane, 1,1,1-trichlorometh-
ane, trichloroethylene and tetra-
chloroethylene to chloride ions
and aldehydes.

The widespread pesticide

.. residues common in foods.
DDT, HCH and HCB and other

chlorinated hydrocarbons, can -

be expected to undergo similar
degradation: reactions through
irradiation exposure.

Typical questions arising from
this ability of contaminants to
alter include: Will DDT trans-

form to the more persistent -

DDE? Can lindane’s alpha-
HCH and gamma-HCH trans-
-form into the more toxic and
stable beta-HCH Isomer more
readily via irradiation? Will
other classes of pesticides and
chemicals decompose under ir-
radiation and what products will

they form under what condi- -

tions?

-.The yield of products and
completion to chloride and
aldehydes was a function of
radiation dose and oxygen.

Irradiation induced phenol
decomposition products, pyro-
catechol, hydroquinone, hy-
droxyhydroquinone, and car-
boxylic acids. At higher doses,
the yield changed to aliphatic
acids including. formic acid, ox-
alic acid, maleic acid, other
unspecified acids and probably
mucconic acid, while the yield of
polyhydroxybenzenes dropped
at the same time.

In another related finding,
Mehran Vajdi (1979) found that
decane, ketones, esters, fatty
acids, cholesterols, diolesters,
alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, alka-
dienes, alkynes, aldehydes and
cholesterols. were. formed. de
novo by irradiation of beef.

Which of these are toxic and

which will be inactivated and ~

metabolized by human diges-

tion? Is the alcohol formation a
long term ingestion hazard in-
creasing the likelihood of
oropharyngeal cancers, as
ethano! does?

Rogan and Glaros (1988)

_isolated benzene and toluene

among other volatile com-
pounds, from irradiation of

meats.

Cummings (1982) predicts
that the fungicide Triforine can

easily decompose to piperazine, -
which. can easily transform into.

n-nitrosopiperazine, which has

different toxicity than Triforine. -

Can the nitroso addition be
facilitated by irradiation?

Clearly the behavior, amount
and toxicity of pesticide and
chemical residues in foods and
their degradation products must
be considered in any considera-

Terrace Review — Wednesday, September 7, 1988 1

Food irradiation approved despite questions
Commentary — by Jorma syrkkanen

pounds and their degradation
products where that data is
readily available.

While irradiation may reduce
the toxicity of some persistent
pesticides and other chemical
contaminants, it will probably
create more varieties of chemical
‘contaminants with greater po-
tential for interaction effects,
and it is certain to be an in-
complete process due to the bulk

of foods, the inverse square law

of radiation intensity with dis-
tance, and because of the prob-
able stability of certain in-
‘termediate products from fur-
ther degradation.

What is the effect on

metabolite production of ir- .

radiation of fish and poultry, if
varying the intensity and condi-
tions? What is the carcinogen-
icity of the products formed?
What is the effect of irradiation
of fungicides and herbicides

‘¢ ...it is the height of ignorance and fool-
hardiness to declare that the process of ir-

radiation is safe.’’

tion of the safety of food ir-
radiation because of this radia-
tion induced ability to transform
chemicals to other metabolic in-
termediates.

Two fundamental questions
raised by these findings are: Are

‘these degradation products,

depending on the level of com-
pleteness' of the degradation,
more or less toxic than the
original. chemicals? Can this
process, by itself, create new
carcinogenic compounds?

I have researched the car-
cinogenicity of the above com-

Final month for Farmers’ Market

The Skeena Valley Farmers’
Market is presently entering the
harvest months of August and
September. Its last market of the
season will be Thanksgiving

weekend.

by Pam Whitaker

When it opens again in May, ;
1989 the association expects to

_ be in a new location. They have
come to an agreement with Ter-
race city council that promises to

. be beneficial to Terrace as well

as consumers in the area.

The property designated for
the farmers’ market is not far

'. from where they are now
- situated at the George M. Little

The Farmers’ Market has entered the harvest months of

Park parking lot. It ison the
4600 block Davis Ave. next to
_ MacKay’s Funeral Home.
This summer has been the
fifth for the Farmers’ Market
_and each year has seen growth.
They need more room, a place
~ where they can utilize electricity
‘and have shelter from the rain.
- Their new location will provide
these services.
Accotding to Farmers’
» Market spokesman Ian Gordon,
The Terrace city council has
“tentatively agreed to level the
: property and supply power for
~ the enterprise.’’ And enterprise

‘it is, as individuals in the area

expand greenhouses and craft
making to meet the demand.
In December, 1987 Alderman
George Clark said that members
of the Tourism and Economic
_ Development Committee believ-.

August and September and hopes to operate at their loca-
tion at George Little Memorial Park until about mid-
October. Local crafts and agricultural enthusiasts sell thelr
wares from tables and car trunks, but organizers hope that
next year they will have a roof over their heads at a new
location and the weather will no longer be a concern.

ed the market could become a
‘catalyst for the revitalization
of agriculture in the area, and
also provide an environment
where small, home-based craft
shops could develop ‘into well
established local businesses.”
The new location is projected as
being one more step in that
direction.

Ian Gordon said, ‘‘Property
that the Farmers’ Market will
borrow will eventually be used
for commercial development by
the City of Terrace. Structures
that will be built on the site will

be similar to those at the horse-
shoe pitch in Heritage Park.

These shelters could be utilized .

by various clubs throughout the
year for pancake breakfasts, flea
markets, etc.”’

The Skeena Valley Farmers’
Market has a blanket business
licence which covers all its
members. Each participant pays
$30.00 for the season or $5.00
for each week ‘‘set up’’.

Anyone in the area who grows
their own produce or manu-
factures their own arts or crafts

‘continued on page 14

residual in foods on formation
of new compounds? What will
be the interaction risks between
various combined residues and
how can these be assessed scien-
tifically? =

Because I have only con-
sidered a small proportion of the
total number of known chemical
contaminants in the human food
chain, and have only examined a
few of the numerous degrada-
tion products, in only a few

. foods that have been tested, it is

the height of ignorance and
foolhardiness to declare that the
process of irradiation is safe.
Yet, the government of
Canada has taken that position.
In fact, the introduction of
benzene alone, as a new oral in-

gestion cancer hazard, demon- |

strates that the entire process is
fraught with serious risks, which
could lead to very major public
health problems at a later date.

It appears likely that the ef-
fect of irradiation will vary, the
degree of irradiation will vary,

the types of foods varies, and to
precisely predict the outcome
will be most difficult, if not im-
possible.

Radioactive nuclide con-
tamination will undoubtedly in-
crease in future worlds due to
the proliferation of this
technology into the environ-
ment, and indeed, the US FDA

is currently monitoring residue -

levels in total daily diet.
The irradiation, of foods will

itself contribute to this general

dispersion of radioactive

nuclides through the food chain

over time even as I have pre-
sented evidence that pesticides
and chemicals have done so.

I predict that when this new
reality becomes more of an
issue, the question most in vogue

‘could well be: ‘What is the effect

of irradiation on radioactive
contaminants in foods and how
can we deal with the increasing
number of genetic monsters and
leukemias?’

To leap on and. disperse a
technology fraught with such
uncertainties. and risky poten-
tials seems most unwise.

Ihave no option but to recom-
mend that, based on the above
considerations and our complete
ignorance of so much of this
process, that Canada abandons
this foolishness for a very long
time, or preferably, completely.
Perhaps if we design our cities
and landscapes and gardens dif-
ferently, or focus “more on
dehydration and freezing and
fresh foods, we won’t have to
store foods for such a long time,
and won’t need to open this
nuclear can of worms.

Editor’s note: In the interest of
brevity a number of tables and
references have been deleted
from this article. Anyone wish-
ing to obtain more specific
information is invited to
contact the Terrace. Review.
Jorma Jyrkkanen is an environ-
mental biologist and a frequent
contributor to the Terrace
Review. He is presently engaged
in an independent study of food
irradiation with colleague Susan
Hoch,

Ae

NG NAR :

Watch for the

‘ WSC

OF THE COLD |

BEER and WINESTORE —s
SEPTEMBER 9, 1988

INN OF THE WEST

corner of Lakelse and Emerson