Lab tests show anthrax scare fueled by starch

By Lauren D. Yee

Extensive testing has concluded the powdered-filled envelopes found in the mailboxes of Richmond and Sunset district homes in late June were non-toxic.

Testing revealed that the 12 envelopes, a majority of them left in the Richmond District, did not contain anthrax but a harmless starch, according to Richard Lee, senior industrial hygienist for the SF Department of Public Health.

"We checked the powder," Lee said. "We did a culture on it and found it was negative."

Lee said members of the SF Fire Department ran several hazardous chemical tests on the substance from the letters in the field. Though the tests immediately revealed the substance to be non-toxic, the fire department gave Lee a sample to test.

In spite of the negative findings, Lee said his department nevertheless "copied all the envelopes and sent them to the FBI" for further examination.

Since the recent anthrax scares, Lee said his department has "tested 150 (possible anthrax) samples and all were negative."

Though the substance found in the letters is identified, authorities still have not discovered the identity of the sender of those letters, according to Tabak.

The letters were hand-delivered on June 22 to 12 homes, including some Jewish families. The sender labeled the envelopes with the name of a fake Jewish charity, according to Tabak, originally leading to suspicion that the letters were sent as part of an anti-Semitic campaign.

But Tabak dismissed any connection between the recipients of the letters, calling the delivery of the envelopes "arbitrary." Asians and people of other races also received the letters in addition to the Jewish recipients, he said.

"We looked at the envelopes and there was no connection between the recipients," Tabak said. The letters were delivered by hand and "not through the U.S. mail." Real anthrax mailings have used the U.S. mail.

Lieutenant Terri Barrett of the Richmond Police Station said that following the anthrax incidents on the East Coast, many copycats have followed suit, using anthrax hysteria to fuel their own hoaxes.

"Before Sept. 11, you could pretty much say that we didn't experience these incidents," Barrett said. "But after everything that happened in New York, there have been copycats who have been sending things that look like white powder."

Lee agreed that before the anthrax outbreaks on the east coast, "no one would have called in" to report suspicious packages.

Lee added that he finds it unlikely that terrorists would send anthrax-infected mail to homes in San Francisco.

"All the letters from the east coast were mailed to New York, Washington and Florida," Lee said. "No one with anthrax was found west of the Mississippi. Most of them were sent to senators and the media."

However, Tabak said if the sender delivered letters to people who could possibly be "targeted because of their high profile, that would raise the specter of concern."

Though Barrett sees the chances of a real anthrax outbreak in San Francisco as slim, she said the police take all claims of anthrax seriously until testing proves otherwise. "

Every case we respond to as if it were a real scenario," she said.

Should someone receive a suspicious-looking piece of mail, Barrett said "they should isolate it and call the police."

"If we found the (anthrax) tests to be positive, we would probably start precautions and doing treatment. Disease Control would get involved and set up preventive treatment centers where they (those affected by the anthrax) would get antibiotics," Lee said.

According to Lee, anthrax inhalation is not fatal if recognized and treated early enough. He said many times people are "freaking out when someone sees powder, even if it's not dangerous."

According to Tabak, "the investigation is not closed" and will be looked into further.