GARDEN GROVE : PacBell Finds No Link to Cancers

An analysis of soil samples, taken outside a Pacific Bell building where 13 cases of cancer among employees have been reported, has found no contaminants that pose a health risk, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

The tests of soil samples taken in September specifically looked for traces of such chemicals as pesticides and PCBs but found none, said Linda Bonniksen, Pacific Bell spokeswoman.

Low levels of toluene and phthalates were found in the samples, but neither chemical is carcinogenic, Bonniksen said. Toluene is used as a solvent and can be found in ink, perfume and dyes as a thinner. Phthalates are used extensively in plastics and film.

The soil analysis was done by Alaska Petroleum Environmental Engineering.

The soil tests were the latest results from several studies commissioned by Pacific Bell to try to determine whether the workers may have contracted cancers from a basement office at 13062 Euclid Ave.

The company said 13 cancer cases were reported among 100 employees who have worked in the office since the 1970s. Pacific Bell has tested the air and water, and measured radon, asbestos and radiation levels at the building to determine whether the cancers are linked to the building, Bonniksen said.

A November study by Dr. Hoda Anton-Culver of the UC Irvine Cancer Surveillance Center showed that the overall cancer rate among the building’s employees was greater than the overall Orange County rate. However, the study also found that specific cancer rates do not exceed the rate of occurrence in the general population.

Next, an expert recommended by state health officials will review all the reports, Bonniksen said. The company will then implement any decisions made by the expert.