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42920 centration or do~e. was linear on a logarithmic scale. The equivalent concentrations and doses of benzene that produced the same inver,ion of the chronaxia of the antagonistic muscles were found to be 240 mg/cu m and 16,000 mg/1; 120 mg/cu m and ROOO mg/1; 60 mg/cu m and 4000 mg/1; 30 mg/cu m and 2000 mg/1, and 15 mg/cu m and 1000 mg/1. Reduced blood cholinesterase activity, and reduction of the leukocyte, erythrocyte and hemoglobin levels were among the principal symptoms of henzene poisoning. The potentiation of the effects of high dmes and concentrations' of. benzene, and the summation effect for loweF doscs-and-concentrations were determined. 42915 APTIC NO. 66240 Chow, C. K . C. J. Dillard, and A. L.~Tappel GLliTATHIONE PEROXIDASE .- SYSTEM AND LYSOZYME IN RATS EXI'OSED TO OZONE OR NITROGEN DIOXIDE. Environ; Res., 7(3):311-319, June 1974. 30 refs. Exposure to rats to low concentrations of ozone (as low as 0.2 ppm) continuously for 8 days, or intermittently (8 hr/day) for 7 days, significantly ir.creas~d the activit;es .of the glutathione (GSH) peroxidase system-in lung tissue. Linear regression analysis showed the increased enzymic activities to be a func lion of ozone concentration. Lysozyme activity was signifi: cantly increased in lung soluble and plasma, during. continuous, but not intermittent, 03 exposure. The results indicated that lipid peroxidation damage occurred in lungs of rats exposed to relatively high levels of 03. Rats were exposed to relatively higher levels of nitrogen dioxide for 4 days. The activities of GSH reductase and glucose-6-phosphatc dehydrogenase were significantly increased during exposure to 2.3 ppm and 6.2 ppm of N02, respectively. There was no significant increase in the activity of GSH peroxidase in lung soluble. or of lysozyme in the plasma, during exposure to N02. The results suggest that the mechanism of action of N02 is different from that of 03. (Author abstract) 42916 APTIC NO. 66438 Dingeon, M. and Collombel EVALUATION OF THE NUISANCES CAUSED BY ASBESTOS: ASBESTOS USED IN AUTOMOBILES. (Ev;J/Ualion des nuisances provoquees par I amiante: cas de I amianre automobile). Texl in French. Poilu!. Armos. (Paris), 16(62):183-190: April-June 1974. Z8 refs. Toxicologic and epidemiologic data on asbC:stos in occupationally and spontaneously exposed subjects, and the hazards of asbestos as released by automobile brake linings are discussed. Lung fibrosis, bronchopulmonar cancer. as well as pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma due to inhaled asbestos in occupationally exposed populatiOns were determined. The latency period of ashestos-induced cancer ranges from 15 to 20 years. Crocidolite and antophyllite are more powerful carcin.,gcns than chry>otile. The irritation of the respiratory tract is essential for the formation of lung cancer by asbestos. The carcinogenic efiect of different types of asbestos may be due to and be dependent of the presence of impurities, such as chromium, iron, beryllium, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese that are carcinogenic, as well as of traces of tar, min~ml oil, and benzo(a)p~rene. The metallic impurities may inhibit the benw(alpyrene hydroxylase activity. The increased fre uency uf P<"itin findin s of screenin s fur ashesioslnliie. llun ''\ o L"lt "t" cr' lnl u.ates a 1111ninnm thou h not nt 'h 'lh ~ haLard. o "'nc'ill"" luc h> :"1-!c,llls release< ~-!rake J1mn ~s 10 t.u.:cu .tlltma \ nut l.\ ,heotl ~u t~cb. In this rcspr:ct. drum bra c-s. rct.untnj! worn-off asnc:stos particles practically quantilati\'dy in,idc the nrakr housing. are less hazardous than disc hrakes which release all worn-off asbestos into the atm<>sphere in nonJenatured form. 42917 At>TIC NO. 66174 Eddy, T. P. COAL SMOKE AND MORTALITY OF TilE ELDERLY. Nature (London), 251(5471):136-138, Scpl. 13. 1974. 13 refs. Mortality from falls in old people is so closely related to mor tality from fractures of long bones, particularly of the prox- imal femur, that it seems related to bone fragility. Common contemporary factors may affect mortality and possibly bone fragility for both sexes. Coal smoke may be one such factor. A statistical study was made on British mortality, and death rates from falls were correlated with death rates from bronchitis and domestic smoke pollution. Mortality from falls seemed to be related to domestic smoke pollution independently of the relationship to mortality from bronchitis. Since increased smoke levels decreased ultraviolet radiation, the effect of smoke on mortality from falls and fractures may have been due to reduced endogenous synthesis by ultraviolet light. 42918 APTIC NO. 66386 Freeman, Gustave, Laszlo T. Juhos, Nazzareno J. Furiosi, Rowena Mussenden, Robert J. Stephens, and Michael J. Evans PATHOLOGY OF PULMONARY DISEASE FROM EXPO- SURE TO INTERDEPENDENT AMBIENT GASES (NITROGEN DIOXIDE AND OZONE). Arch. Environ. Health, 29(4):203-210, Ocr. 1974. 27 refs. Rats in exposure chambers were subjected to mixtures of nitrogen dioxide and ozone at levels reached in severe smog and were subsequently examined histalogically for injury. The major site of injury observed was at the level of the junction of the respiratory bronchiole and the alveolar duct, somewhat more peripheral than the lesion caused by N02 alone. Ozone, the more toxic component; was largely responsible for the injury at the selected concentmtions and for the characteristic fibroblastic activity in that region. The observations suggested that potential injury from ambient smog resulted mainly from 03, whereas injury from tobacco smoke was due largely to its relatively high concentrdtion of N02. Smoking and residing in smoggy areas appear to be additively injurious. (Author abstract modified) 42919 APTIC NO. 66247 Fukuie, Noriko BIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF HEAVY METALLIC CATALYST PARTICLES TO BE EXHAUSTED IN THE AIR. (Jukinzoku shokubai biryushi no seibursu ni oyobosu eikyo). Text in Japanese. Nippon Jidosha Ken- kyujo Kenkyu Sokuho (Res. Lett. hpan Automob. lnst.), no. 19:63-69, March 1974. Copper, chromium; iron, and aluminum catalysts were administered orally to rats over a 1-month period, followed by examination of the internal organs for metal distribution and pathological changes in an investigation of the toxicity af the heavy metals. No pathological changes were observed. although the point of maximum accumulation rate was different between Cu and Cr among respective groups of rats. The results indicate that there may be an optimum absorbing concentration for each of the metals. 42920 APTIC NO. 66379 Fukuta, Shinji, Toru Yamamoto, Takanari Tokuhisa, Junichi Mise, ami Urizo Fujii SERUM IGF. LEVEL IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASES; WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. (Heisokusei hai shikkan ni okeru kcssei lgE chi--kik:inshi unsokushorei o ,hushin to shire). Text in Jap;1nese. Nihon K.vohu Shikbn G:.kkai Zasshi (J;Jpan. J. Thoracic Dis.), 12t7J:3R6-391, July 1974. 24 refs. 93 f/11 ,-- --_.... ---- -- _______ ...... ........~ ~...------...-- ..~--.......-.. --~~ ......... ..,.- .... ... ---....,....--,,.,-..~-....--.- .,.. ._,, ...., FMSI 06859 .'' f i t ! r' . - .FRICTIOi~ MATERIALS STANDARDS H~STITUTE, INC. , E-210 ROUTE 114, PARANUS, N.J. 0 765i BULLET I N N 0. 5 5 0 October 7, 1975 OSHA PROPOSED :~EH ASBESTOS STfu."'DARD Enclosed is a copy of an article as it appeared in the New York Times of Sunday October 5, 1975. The full publication of the proposed standard will be in the Federal Register on October 9, 1975. The proposed new standard is rough. The current regulations call for the 5 fibers/cc limit to be reduced to 2 fiber/cc on July 1, 1976. This new proposal calls for a standard of 0.5 fibers/cc (effective date not established). I have excerpted some of the more significant parts of the OSHA proposed standard (from a covering letter from the Asbestos Information Association): 1. Reduce the permissible exposure limit to a THA of 0.5 fibers per cubic centimeter (500,000 fibers per cubic meter) and reduce the ceiling limit to 5 fibers per cubic centimeter (5 million fibers per cubic meter). 2. Add a 15 minute sampling period for determination of the ceiling limit. 3. Establish additional requirements for regulating areas, employee rosters, hygiene facilities, employee information and training, signs and labels, monitoring and medical surveillance. 4. Extend the period for retention of monitoring and medical records to 40 years or for the duration of the employees' employment plus 20 years, '-7hichever is longer. It Hould appear that comments on technical feasibility, costs to the employer, and possible plant shut-dm~s might have some hearing on adoption of this stringent neH standard. From the draft copy I have seen, they are askin8 for objections or comments prior to December 8, 1975. Hritten data should be in quadruplicate to:. Docket Officer, Docket H-033 U.S. Department of Labor f.oom N-3620 200 Constitution Avenue, N.I.J. Hashington, D.C. 20210 Telephone (202) 523-8076 Again, this proposed neH standard will be in the Federal Register of October 9, 1975. E. \L Drislane J.xpcutivft Direc~or FMSl 06860 FRICTION MATERIALS STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC. O<:ToBetl.. \HG OSHA NEVJ RULES URGED FOR ASBESTOS RISK Labor Department Seeking Reduction in Exposure of 1 : Workers and 'Families By JANE BRODY The United States Depart- ment of Labor has proposed a new standard to protect workers and their families from the lung-scarring and cancercausing effects of asbestos, a mineral of a thousand uses to which millions of American workers are exposed. The existing asbestos stan- : dard, which has' been widely contested by labor groups, was de.signed only to prevent asbes- tosis, a scarring of the lungs that, if severe, can turn a worker into a cripple in a respirator. However, the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in its proposal that new information had deve)oped showing that the existing standard would not prevent asbestosis and would certainly not prevent asbestos-caused cancers. Cancers, especially those involving the lung, gastrointestin.al tract and lining of the criest and abdominal cavities, have accounted for more than 40- per cent of deaths among some groups of asbestos workers. a rate three to four times higher than that in the general population. 'In addition, studies in South Africa and New Jersey have 1 shown that the families of as-1 bestos workers also face an increased cancer risk because th~y are exposed to asbestos fibers carried home on the :w,e.rkers' clothing. i !: Delayed Fiber Efr~ci . ;Asbestos enters the body ma,lnly through Inhalation. It m;ay also be in~ested in food Ot -drink contannnated with the mineral fibers Once in the body; the fibers tend to persist, remaining dormant for many y~ars. However, 20 or more ye'!-rs later, cancers caused by these fibers may become clini\c~Hy apparent. :Jhe Labor Department's proposed standard would greatly reduce the amount .of asbestos fibers now allowable ,in the aif': a worker breathes and '\1/.Puld sharply reduce a lower standard scheduled to take effeit next year. Currently the standard permits a level of five million fibers per cubic m~ter of air. This was to have been reduced to two million . fi9ers per cubic meter by next July. ~tThe two million level was decided upon on the basis of ; eJ,Cperience in one British ashes-~: tos factory, where a study of 290 men indicated that, at about twice that level. onlyl a~small percentage of workers exposed for I0 yiears or longer developed lung scarring. :However, these workers have! slrice been re-examined, and x;ray evidence of lung abnormalities was found in 40 to 70 per cent of the same group ber of workers in addition, a numof asbestos-related cancers w~s f<Jund. ::The proposed st~ndard would reduce worker exposure to asbe;stos to 500,000 fibers per cubic meter, averaged <Jver an elght-hour day, with a maximum exposure at any one time ol 'five million fibers. Work~rs wouid have to be educated as ihowtlie hazards of asbestos and to avoid them and tested pi!Tiodically to be sure they were suffering no ill eff.ects. I' ,. ..(t' " '''1:: Records Kept Longer , !Records of both the medical examinations and tests of as- . bestos levels in the .work envir onment would have to be kept . for 40 years, or for the duration ' of.' the worker's employment plus 20 years, whichever lo was lger. The current standard requires retention of mediical r~cor f 20 years and moni- toringof records for only three y~ars. Employers would also be re- q(Lired under the new standards to:proyide shower and change rqoms for asbestos workers to . guard against their inadvertant- ly: carrying the fibers home. No food, drink or smoking would be allowed where ashes- . tos was used and workers . would have to wash thoroughly b~fore eating during the work day. . 'The new standard would cov- er'an estimated total of 50,000 workers involvM in the manu- facture of asbestos-containing ; produts an.Q about 40,000 field . insulation workers who are ex- posed to asbestos dust, plus many .thousands of others who work with products that con- tain asbestos. The standard would not cover mifliohs of workers in the con- struction industry, where three- fol,lrths of all asbestos products are used. The Labor Depart- ment said it intended to formu- . late a separate standard for . th~e workers, since they are usually employed in nonfjxed work places .and tend to be highly transient. 1 The Labor Department must now prepare an environmental impact and an inflationary im- pact statement before holding I a ht>aring on the proposed stan-] dard. In addition to asbestos stan-~ dards, the department last week issued proposed new standards to limit worker expo- sure to lead and toluene, both widely used hazardous indus- trial substances, and estab- lished procedures for handling ':::. other toxie chemicals in Ute work emironment. OCT 0 51975 " FMSI 06861