Document 0q7wKGboBnVJO4Gmv9BZxxBBO

Ma y 1 ^ , 19l g . Dr . R . P . Ku r z We s t e r n Ca r t r i d g e Co mp a n y Ea s t Al t o n * I l l i n o i s De a r Do c t o r Ku r z : I n a c c o r da nc e wi t h your r e q u e s t , I am wr i t i n g t o I n d i c a t e wh a t a d v a n t a g e s might he Invo l ve d i n obs er va t i ons on t he h y gi e n i c c o n d i t i o n s i n t he p l a n t In wh i c h yo u a r e wo r k i n g . We h a v e h a d s ome e x p e r i e n c e wi t h t he o p e r a t i o n o f p l a n t s o f t h i s t y p e , a nd I am qui t e c e r t a i n t hat t he c o ndi t i ons o f expos ur e can be s i g n i f i c a n t l y h a z a r d o u s . No d o u b t t h e r e a r e c e r t a i n oppor t unit ies for t he pr oduct ion and dis s eminat ion of f i n e l y di vi de d l ead In t he for m o f dust and fume. Th e d e g r e e t o wh i c h e x p o s u r e w i l l o c c u r w i l l d e p e n d upon t he q u a n t i t i e s of ma t e r i a l ha ndl e d* t he t ype o f appar at us Invol ved* t he gener al qual it y of housekeeping and t he oppor t unit ies affor ded for cl e a nl i ne s s and g e n e r a l c a r e a mo ng t h e m e n . At t h i s t i m e * wh e n a h i g h r a t e o f p r o d u c t i o n s eems t o be t he mos t n e c e s s a r y f a c t o r , o c c u p a t i o n a l c o n d i t i o n s a r e l i k e l y t o b e mor e h a za r d o u s t han t h e y a r e n o r ma l l y . I t i s a l l t he mor e n e c e s s a r y * t h e r e f o r e , t hat pr e c a ut i o na r y measur es be t aken s i nce i l l n e s s a n d d i s a b i l i t y a mo n g t h e wo r k me n r e p r e s e n t a ser ious pr oblem fr om t he point of view of pr oduct ion, a s we l l as f r o m a human p o i n t o f v i e w. Th e r e a r e s e v e r a l wa y s o f appr oach t o t he st udy o f t he ha za r ds e xi s t e n t i n your var ious oper at ions . It Is possibl e* of cour se, by compr ehens ive a i r sampl ing t o det er mi ne t he char act er and t he e xt e n t o f t he a t mo s phe r i c do nt a mi na t i o n wi t h p a r t i c u l a t e l e a d . Suc h a met hod o f pr o c e dur e wi l l p o i n t out t he most s e r i o u s f o c i o f e xp o s u r e , a nd wi l l e n a b l e one t o s e e t he mos t i mp o r t a n t p o i n t s o f a t t a c k . Th e a d v a n t a g e o f t h i s me t ho d o f s t u d y i s v e r y g r e a t under c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s a nd much l e s s d e f i n i t e under o t h e r s . I f v a r i o u s p a r t s o f a p l a n t ar e we l l I s o l a t e d from each ot her , such r esul t s are ver y s i gni fi c a nt . Ho we v e r , i f t h e o p e r a t i o n s o f a p l a n t a r e v a r i e d a n d s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e f r o m d a y t o d a y , a n d wh e n t h e e x p o s u r e v a r i e s wi t h g e n e r a l we a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s a n d a v a r i e t y o f 2 ot her fact or s , i t i s quit e di ffi c ul t to evaluat e it b y me t ho ds o f a i r s a mp l i n g a l o n e . Ge n e r a l l y s p e a k i n g we do n o t f e e l t h a t t h i s i s t h e me t h o d o f c h o i c e i n c onne c t i on wi t h a s i n gl e p l a n t s u r ve y, a l t ho ugh i t i s ve r y u s e f u l as a means o f ma ki ng p e r i o d i c o b s e r v a t i o n s a f t e r t he g e n e r a l p i c t u r e h a 3 b e e n f a i r l y we l l de ve l o p e d by ot her means. I n our e xp e r i e n c e t he mos t a d e q u a t e wa y o f s t u d y i n g l e a d e x p o s u r e o f a p l a n t i s t o s t u d y t h e wo r k me n . Th e me n t h e ms e l v e s h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d t h e e x p o s u r e I n a v e r y p r a c t i c a l wa y . Wh a t e v e r i s g o i n g t o h a p p e n t o t h e m I n t h e wa y o f l e a d a b s o r p t i o n u n d e r t he c o n d i t i o n s wh i c h ha ve p r e v a i l e d , wi l l have l e f t i t s mar k upon t hem a n d, t h e r e f o r e , i f one h a s t he means c f d e t e r mi n i n g t he e xt e n t o f t h e i r l ead abs or pt i on, as a consequence of t heir exposur e, he wi l l be abl e to det er mine t he c ha r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e p l a n t v e r y c l e a r l y . I t h a s b e e n s h o wn q u i t e c l e a r l y t hat t he degr ee of l e a d a bs or pt i on of an I n di v i du a l can be det er mined by an adequat e st udy of h i s u r i n a r y l e a d e x c r e t i o n . Th e s a me t h i n g I s s h o wn t o a s o me wh a t l e s s e f f e c t i v e d e g r e e b y s t u d i e s o f t h e l e a d i n h i s b l o o d . Al l t h a t i s n e c e s s a r y , t h e r e f o r e , I s t o e xe r c i s e car e and j udgment i n t he s e l e c t i o n o f wo r k me n wh o s e e x p e r i e n c e w i l l a d e q u a t e l y r e p r e s e n t t h e c o n d i t i o n s t o wh i c h t h e y h a v e b e e n e x p o s e d . Th a t I s t o s ay, one needs t o st udy c a r e f u l l y t he d i f f e r e n t jobs i n t he p l a n t , a n d t o s e l e c t me n who h a v e b e e n o c c u p i e d In t hose jobs t o t he e xc l u s i o n o f ot her a c t i v i t i e s , so far as pos s i bl e. I f car e i s used i n t his r es pect , and i f i t i s pos s i bl e t o cover t he oper at ions of t he pl ant t h r o u g h a s t u d y o f c a r e f u l l y c h o s e n me n who w i l l c o o p e r a t e i n t he s t udy , one can o bt a i n ver y p r e c i s e and ve r y u s e f u l Inf o r ma t i o n as t o t he h y gi e n i c s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t he l ea d e xpo s ur e I n v o l v e d . I s h a l l not bo t h e r yo u a t t h i s t ime wi t h i l l u s t r a t i v e d a t a , b u t i f f o r a ny r e a s o n y o u wo u l d l i ke t o see an Il l u s t r a t i o n o f t he s i gni fi c a nc e of t his t y p e o f wo r k , I c a n s e n d y o u s ome e x p e r i m e n t a l r e s u l t s wh i c h we h a v e o b t a i n e d . Th u s f a r I h a v e r e f e r r e d o n l y to a st udy o f t he l ead cont ent o f bl ood and u r i n e . I s h o u l d a l s o make me n t i o n o f t he f a c t t h a t s a mp l e s o f f e c e s o b t a i n e d o n r e p r e s e n t a t i v e wo r k me n w i l l c l e a r l y d e m o n s t r a t e t he magni t ude o f t he i r expos ur e wi t h i n t he p e r i o d o f t he p a s t f e w d a y s . Fo r e x a m p l e , wh e n me n a r e wo r k i n g i n a dust - l aden at mospher e, a cons i der abl e pr opor t ion of t he p a r t i c u l a t e l e a d compound I s c o l l e c t e d i n t he up p e r r e s p i r a t o r y t r a c t , i s s u b s e q u e n t l y s wa l l o we d wi t h t he p h a r y n g e a l s e c r e t i o ns and appear s i n t he a l i me nt a r y t r a c t , t o be e v a c u a t e d wi t h t h e f e c e s . Th e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e q u a n t i t i e s o f l e a d o c c u r r i n g i n t h e f e c e s o f r e p r e s e n t a t i v e wo r k me n I n d i f f e r e n t p a r t s o f t h e p l a n t , w i l l s ho w e x a c t l y t h e s ame k i n d 3- of r e s u l t s t ha t can he obt ained, by a n a l y s i s o f t he a i r , e xc e p t t ha t i n t h i s i n s t a n c e , t he s ampl er h a s b e e n wo r k i n g a u t o m a t i c a l l y t h r o u g h o u t t h e wo r k i n g h o u r s , a n d i t p o r t r a y s j u s t wh a t h a p p e n e d . Th e l e a d c o n t e n t o f t h e f e c e s o f s u c h gr o u p s o f men v a r i e s a c c o r d i n g t o t he l e a d c o n t a mi n a t i o n o f t he a t mo s p h e r e I n wh i c h t h e y h a v e wo r k e d , a nd one i s , t h e r e f o r e , a bl e t o us e t h i s met hod o f s t udyi ng t he a t mospher ic cont aminat ion. In t he st udy o f t he l ea d e xc r e t i o n, t h e r e f o r e , one- h a s t h e me a n s o f d e t e r m i n i n g t h e p r e s e n t magnit ude o f t he e xp o s ur e ,a s r e v e a l e d by t he l e a d In t he f e c e s , as we l l as t he ge ne r a l expos ur e over a c ons i der a bl e per i od o f t i me, as demonst r at ed by t he ur i na r y l ea d e xc r e t ion and t he bl ood l ead cont ent . . Infor mat ion o f t he t ype I have In d i c a t e d a bo v e , can be and s houl d be r a t h e r c l o s e l y c o r r e l a t e d wi t h c l i n i c a l i n f o r ma t i o n on I n d i v i d u a l men. Pr esumabl y such c l i n i c a l i nfor mat i on i s a va i l a bl e In p a r t , and t he r emainder of It coul d be c ol l e c t e d i n t he r egul ar o p e r a t i o n o f your me di c a l de pa r t me nt . Ce r t a i n a d d i t i o n a l l a b o r a t o r y o b s e r v a t i o n s wi t h r e s p e c t t o t he mi c r o s c o p i c b l o o d c ha nge s mi ght we l l be made, a nd t h e s e mi ght bg c o r r e l a t e d wi t h t he a n a l y t i c a l f i n d i n g s . Al l t o l d , j u d i c i o u s s e l e c t i o n o f men t o be e xa mi n e d a nd me t ho ds t o be e mp l o y e d In t hei r s t udy, one can obt a i n In a compar at i vel y s hor t t i me a r a t h e r p r e c i s e and c ompr e he ns i ve p i c t u r e o f t he magnit ude and t he hygi e ni c s i gn i f i c a n c e o f t he l ead e x p o s u r e . We h a v e b e e n a b l e t o d e m o n s t r a t e q u i t e c l e a r l y t hat l e a d e xc r e t i o n wi t h i n c e r t a i n l i mi t s i s compat i bl e wi t h c o mp l e t e s a f e t y , wh e r e a s a t c e r t a i n l e v e l s and a b o v e , t he danger of l ead poisoning begins and i ncr eas es accor dl n g t o t he In c r e a s e I n l e a d e xp o s u r e . I t can now be s a i d wi t h s ound p r a c t i c a l a s s u r a n c e t ha t danger ous c o n di t i o n s can be f o und and can be r e a d i l y d i f f e r e n t i a t e d fr om s a f e c o n d i t i o n s , a n d t h a t b y t h i s me a n s o ne c a n e s t a b l i s h wh e r e e f f o r t n e e d s t o b e e x e r t e d t o e l i m i n a t e e x p o s u r e . On e c a n a l s o d e t e r m i n e b y t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e s a me m e a n s , wh e n t he exposur e ha3 been r educed t o safe l i mi t s . I f you r equi r e any addi t i ona l Infor mat ion on any o f t hese p o i nt s , I s hal l be gl a d t o s e n d t h e m a l o n g t o y o u . Ho we v e r I d o n o t wa n t t o b e I n t he po s i t i o n o f ur gi ng any a c t i o n on your p a r t , and I wi l l wa i t u n t i l I he a r fr om you be f o r e wr i t i n g or go i ng f u r t h e r . Ho we v e r i t wo u l d a p p e a r t o me t h a t i f y o u r p e o p l e ar e Int e r e s t e d i n making a st udy o f t hei r l ead expos ur e, It wo u l d b e a d v i s a b l e f o r me t o v i s i t y o u , o r f o r y o u t o v i s i t me t o d i s c u s s t h e wh o l e s i t u a t i o n a n d t o d e c i d e wh a t c o u l d be d o n e . I n t h i s c o n n e c t i o n , I t h i n k I t mi gh t s a f e t i me a n d t r o u b l e i f I we r e t t > v i s i t y o u a n d s e e t h e p l a n t , s i n c e I c oul d f a m i l i a r i ze my s e l f , a t l e a s t r o u g h l y , wi t h t he c o n di t i o n s 1+ which h a v e t o be n e t , a n d wo u l d b e a b l e t o wa k e c e r t a i n s uggo r :t l o n s o r a p r a c t i c a l n a t u r e f o r c a r r y i n g on o b s e r v a t i o n s i n t he mos t c o n v e n i e n t a nd l e a s t e xp e n s i v e wa y . F i n a l l y , l e t me s a y t h a t I am ve r y g l a d t o h a v e made your a c q u a i n t a n c e , a nd I r e g r e t t h a t we d i d n o t me e t s ome t i me b e f o r e y o u l e f t Ci n c i n nat i . Co r d i a l l y y o u r s , RAK:i s Ho b a r t A. Ka h o e , M. D. Kg 0012281