Soviets refute chemical warfare charges
not presented a single shell, bomb fragment, rocket, or cylinder to indict the U.S.S.R. for chemical warfare in Southeast Asia. They rely instead on innuendo and illogical statements. In one case, the Soviets argue, by implication, that crates seen being offloaded from a Soviet vessel in the port of Saigon contained captured U.S. weapons. At press time, State Department officials had only glanced at the Soviet paper. On first reading, they found it "bizarre," suspecting that "it will ultimately prove to be an embarrassment to the Soviets." •
In a critique submitted to the United Nations, the Soviet Union dubs the State Department's March report to Congress on chemical warfare in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan a "malicious fabrication." The Soviets say the report is designed to divert attention from chemical warfare the U.S. conducted in Southeast Asia during the Vietnamese conflict, to justify renewed U.S. chemical arms production, and to cloak the Reagan Administration's "reluctance to engage in serious negotiations" on a chemical weapons ban. The 19-page critique was prepared Women and minorities by experts from the U.S.S.R. Acad- in science make gains emy of Sciences and the Ministry of Health. In it, the Soviets admit that The National Science Foundation, "yellow rain" toxins are present in as required by law, has sent ConSoutheast Asia, but they reach the gress its first biennial report on the startling conclusion that the fungal participation of women and minoritoxin-induced diseases and deaths ties in science and engineering emnow alleged to be occurring in South- ployment and training. east Asia stem from the "herbicide For the most part, this first rewar waged by the U.S. in Vietnam." port represents a compilation of alAccording to the Soviet scenario, ready known facts and thus its by U.S. overuse of herbicides, indig- conclusions are not new. What is enous vegetation, especially forests, important is that the report for the was wiped out. By use of napalm, first time pulls together in one place exposed soil was sterilized. Then the the available data on these groups denuded areas "were artificially and fits that data into the overall seeded" with elephant grass, pre- perspective of the total science and sumably from U.S. aircraft. engineering community. This "malignant" weed, according Among the report's findings on to the Soviets, became the "nutri- women are that employment of feent medium" for previously dormant male scientists and engineers rose Fusarium fungi, the producers of the almost 32% between 1974 and 1978, trichothecene toxins detected by U.S. increasing their share of the total scientists in plant, water, and blood science and engineering (S/E) worksamples collected from areas and force from 7.8 to 9.4%; the proporfrom victims allegedly under chem- tion of S/E women employed part ical attack. The fungal spores— time was seven times as large as which are native to the region, the that of men, 14% versus 2%; the proSoviets claim—were carried by pre- portion of women holding non-S/E vailing winds from Vietnam to those jobs was about three times as large provinces in Kampuchea and Laos as that of men, 43% vs. 14%; and the "in which the U.S. Air Force used proportion of female scientists and herbicides in 1972" to prepare the engineers reporting management as soil for plant fungal infestation. their primary work activity was less The Soviets claim that the evi- than one half that of men. dence presented by the U.S. can be Data on minority-group scientists best explained by natural intoxica- and engineers are much scarcer than tion. They cite the unequal myco- those on women, which also are toxin levels reported by the U.S. for scant. However, the report says the different parts of a leaf sample and S/E employment of these groups rose the lack of toxin contamination in 25% between 1974 and 1978, increasthe leaf stem as evidence for this. A ing their share of the workforce to U.S. government mycotoxin expert, about 4%. Despite this gain, blacks who requests anonymity, says "the still are underrepresented. Minority detection method for mycotoxins has scientists and engineers received a high degree of imprecision," and lower salaries than whites, but there detected levels wouldn't be identical. was little difference between racial The Soviets fail to develop their groups in unemployment rates and best argument—that the U.S. has career advancement.
NSF says that in designing its data collection systems for the 1980s, emphasis has been given to increasing the samples for women and minorities so that more statistically reliable data will be available in the future. n
Aspirin products must carry warning label Health & Human Services Secretary Richard S. Schweiker has ordered the Food & Drug Administration to require a warning label on aspirincontaining products saying that there is a link between aspirin use in some childhood diseases and development of Reye's syndrome. Critics say that a link has not been established firmly enough to warrant such labeling. Schweiker also has ordered FDA to start a mass education program among parents, doctors, and pharmacists to alert them to the alleged link. Reye's syndrome is a brain disease that also causes fatty degeneration of organs such as the liver. It can occur during recovery from chicken pox or flu, with a child vomiting and then becoming lethar-
Aspirin at a glance
C~OH
Producers—Dow Chemical, Midland, Mich.; Monsanto, St. Louis; MortonNorwich, Norwich, N.Y.; Sterling Drug, Trenton, N.J. Capacity—43 million lb per year How made—Acetylation of salicylic acid Drug action—Thought to inhibit the cyclooxygenase that catalyzes reaction of oxygen with polyunsaturated fatty acids during biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Excessive prostaglandin production causes fever, pain, and inflammation Price—$1.65 per lb (bulk) Value—$60 million for the 40 million lb production estimated in the U.S. in 1981
June 14, 1982 C&EN
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