Document 1yzk1K2DRn587oRLXD5OJjwwK

VOL. Ill, NO. 1 SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, MONDAY. JANUARY 11,1082 42 PAGES . 20 CENTS Cancer link hunted at Monsant< By A. DAVID GRAM worked there longer, who had a the chemicals vinyl chloride and cancer deaths were excessive but Uikw Staff AMHERST -- A new itudy of can cer deaths aman| former employees of the Monsanto Co. chemical plant In Springfield haa found (be fatalities may be linked to exposure to materi als used In making plastics. longer latency period, had higher* polyvinyl chloride were used. could not be explained because "It risks of dying of al|rmaligttant neo . between 1911 and 1973. was virtually impossible to Isolate plasms (abnormal tissue growths)." Tbe research team found one exposure to Individual chemicals." The study was the fifth conducted death due to s liver cancer asso Rosenman criticised the company- ot the company since anion officials ciated with exposure to vinyl chlo sponsored studies, however, saying began demanding an Investigation ride and said several other former they "always looked at the total Into cancer deaths ol former employ workers had mouth, digestive, lym work force, not at Individual work ees In 1*77. phatic and lung cancers. sites... diluting" Ihe studies' results, A team from the University of Monsanto's epidemiology man Older workers wen found to have he said. Massachusetts Investigating the ager, William Caffey of St. Louts, a greater risk of contracting cancer, - Rosenman said his study, con deaths of lit men who worked at the said of tbe new study, "I think we'll even with a short exposure to the ducted with the aid of a group of Unl- Monsanto plant In Springfield's know within a couple of wceka plastics studied. versity of Massachusetts toxicology Indian Orchard section found 31 whether Ihere really Is any connec Monsanto Is also reviewing a simi graduate students, looked at two spe were caused by cancer and may have tion between these excesses and any lar study the company contracted cific work sites In the Monsanto seen work-related. past exposures la the plant"- with University of Pittsburgh pro plant ' Dr. Kenneth Rosenman. who . Tbe study was ot former employ fessor Dr. Gary Marsh, who fin The research team went* through waded the study, said, "People who ees who worked at tbe plant while ished that study last spring. He said employe, es' m% edical records looking for types of cancer linked studies with exposure to vin ride and polyvinyl chloride. Another portion of the situ released shortly will look al ble link between exposure chemical formaldehyde extremely rare form of lung which already has been fount former Monsanto employ* worked wilh that substance, man said. Huger Soucy, president of tl chapter of the Intcrnatioal U Electrical Wordcrs said, "The Sec MONSANTO Page 1 cncgcig'gy 1( i MONSANTO------- :-- Continued frpm Page 1 find perturbing Is lhat everything we run Into by doctors or anybody else doing research Is that it may be this or may be tlial, it could be that or It could be this ... nobody ever conics out wilh anything definite.'* But Rosenman said, U is very dll- fieull In anything like this to speak in terms ol absolutes And you have to remember that many of these work'ers worked with up to 100 other chemicals," whirl) nukes pinpointing causc-and-effeet iclnlioiislilps between specific chemical^ * cer difficult, he said. Monsanto, the nation's fou g**l chemical company, e approximately 2.000 at Us field installation, The ,an| maou(acture. yjfieiy of publics for cormjii industrial uses. Int ituling j. r(.ne AllS alll, SANS (jlal|to a(iI,.)lylj,. resins and phenolic The Springfield plant Is | Monsanto I'laslits amt Hesln