Document 0p6debvRM9JQbNBJko5pwQmm

r THE-FIRESTONE TIRE SfRUBBER COMPANY NEWS SERVICE received FfB 20 1976 Statement by R- W. Laundrie Firestone Plastics Company on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Report on Genetic Risks of Vinyl Chloride. A recently issued report on GENETIC RISKS OF VINYL CHLORIDE was based on part of an overall health survey at the Firestone Plastics Company's Pottstown, Pa.,' facility in October, 1974. The survey \:as conducted by Federal health officials in after vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was identified as a possible cause of angiosarcoma, a form of liver cancer believed related to massive exposure to VCM over an extended period of time. The report was made public late in January by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and has been submitted v for publication to Lancet, a medical journal in England. Firestone received a copy of the report early in February \ from Dr. Peter F. Infante, a NIOSH epidemiologist. The 1974 survey was conducted by NIOSH at Firestone's plant in Pottstown because operations there include both tire manufacturing t and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production, enabling researchers to study employees with exposure to vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and GENC 006572 more 2- those without such exposure for purposes of data control. The Firestone facility was selected for the survey because the combination of workers exposed to VCM and not exposed to VCM in one location was unique in the industry. The data in the report appear to indicate that statistically wives of workers exposed to VCM are more likely to suffer mis carriages and stillbirths than those who are not. The information was obtained from interviews with 253 workers at the Firestone pAant, but no interviews were conducted with workers' wives and no data were obtained concerning maternal ages except indirectly through paternal age. This report certainly indicates the need for further research and study even though it would be premature to draw firm conclusion about the precise role of VCM exposure as a cause of miscarriages or stillbirths. Firestone remains greatly concerned about the. possibility of genetic and other health risks that may be associated with exposure to VCM. We will continue to cooperate With industry, union, govern ment and public health groups in studying this matter and in taking steps to reduce exposure levels as we have been doing since the possible health risks of exposure to VCM first became known. This N10SH report was based on a survey of workers whose t exposure to VCM in prior years was many times greater than the exposure level of one part per million parts of air that is the GENC 006 -3Federal standard going into effect April 1. Exposure in the area surrounding the plant as the result of emission to the atmosphere would be a minute fraction of that level. Whatever risk to health existed as the result of exposure to VCM in the past should be substantially lessened or potentially eliminated by the drastically reduced exposure levels that will be required in the industry from now on. end GENC 006574