Document 2Rx1owDyQzZpZr8YrNbdg93bp

FRICTION MATERIALS STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC., E-210 ROUTE 4, PARAMUS, N. J. 07652 March 10, 1975 To: Asbestos Study Committee Subject: Various Papers Concerning Asbestos Mr. I. H. Weaver, Chairman, forwarded three papers concerning the asbestos problem which he suggested 1 send on to the Committee, internal Ravbestos Report bv I. H._Jeaver_3/4/75 This concerned ameeting at Rutgers University for the Occupational Health Conference. The safety of the 2 fiber/cc limit (June 1976) was questioned. Also concern was expressed for fibers less than 5 microns in length. Industrial Hygiene Progress Reports Dr. Selikoff is Program Director for these Reports. In it is a fairly strong push Tor reducing the standard to 1 fiber per cc or less. Mesotheliomata in Rats - - - - This is a British paper that indicated mesotheliomata was observed in a considerable proportion of animals with all the samples of asbestos. Mr. Weaver indicated that this was bad news for those hoping that chrysotile would be proven not to be associated with mesothelioma. The foregoing is for your information. EWD/erc Enclosure: E. W. Drislane Executive Director ) FMSI-0189 FMSI 03131 lindwla, Fk Mr. J. H. Harsh ~ Trumbull Hatch k, 19T5 Occupational Health Conference, Rutgers University On Tuesday, February 29th, I attended an Occupational Health Conference at Ru&gars University la Brunswick, lev Jersey, sponsored by tbs Department of TTnTlrnwwtel Beieaee of Cook College at Rutgers, aad the American Long Association of He* Jersey. Tbs morning program oca devoted to a paael discussion aad qnsatien aad enSSii period oa earreat health regalatloas, oafcareeaeat probleas, sad revlav of current research findings aad their potential application to future policies aad standards. . Mich of the coming discussion eoocsrnod relative asrlts of state versus Federal progrsa control. The recent decision to tore ever rcspooslhillty for the oceupatiooal health In He* Jersey to the federal govsnmsat vas severely criticised. Janos Conlln, lev Jersey's Departaent of Labor Deputy Director, outlined features of the Oeaerel factory Act of 1885 that still are being violated la lev Jersey aad expressed disdain of purported need for additional legislation in tha occupational health field. Ha feala there la plenty of legislation that baa not bon enforced effectively end cited lack of n rumlestion as tbs major problem in inproving occupational health conditions. lev Jersey has operated e progrea that Is far from adequate in the opinion of may, tut better than is likely under federal control. A major problem is that labor neea the OSHdet as a worker's hill of rights and vaate to vipe out state plans usAcr the lapressloa thelx interests will he better served by federal programs. la meet caaaa they are hodly misguided, as it appears vsry unlikely that the federal geeumment will he in a position to improve ea the hotter sdninistered state programs that have keen in effect for same time, many of which ere being upgraded. Mary Louies Brown, Regional Consultant to 08HA Region II, estimated the Department of Labor would require as many employees as are now employed by the entire federal government to enable OSHA to accomplish what congress intended when it passed the OSHAet. Since less than one-tenth of a percent of the federal budget now la applied to occupational safety aad health, it le dlseonragiagly evident that ve are an extremely long way tram achieving what congress mandated. The afternoon sessions consisted of six workshops covering various hasards. X attend ed those Biemeoming lood and oSbsetos. Dr. William Vllamts, former Chief Medical Bnminsr tor Middlesex County, Hew Jersey, presented an Impeoeiened dissertation cm tbs hasards of load exposure. He characterised lead as an Insidious, slow poisoner that is capable of making people sicker then anything Oise be knows. Be emphasised the following points 1 FMSI 03132 -2- 1. 16 one with any chronic ailment should ever be placed In lead exposure. A very thorough pre mrployaent physical should hs given to discern chronic tllMsts in candidates for cork In load exposura areas. 2. Host lead sickness occurs in young sad in old employees. Propensity of the young to oostract lead sickness nay he attributable to carelessness. 3. Once a person contracts lead polaoning -- don't pensit ro-exposursl 1. Too much emphasis is placed on blood lead analysis. Monthly tasts for hlood load, urine lead, hemoglobin count, porpborine and stippling should be required for all workers exposed to lead. 3. Lead poisoning is beet treated in the hospital by intravenous therapy. Professor Herbert Blkales of Rutgers spoke briefly cm various non-industrial souross of load exposure and recent research on effoetc of lead on health. Re said the principle source of lead in bunco environment is from naturally occurring lead in food aoureas. Recent work indicates earthing aggravates the effects of exposure to ^ead. Dr. Arthur Laager of Mt. Binae reviewed their studies of Rev Jersey asbestos insula tion workers and cited their dismal health picture. He mentioned additional studies conducted in rural areas to eliminate possible etiological effects of exposure to air pollution in the Ice Jersey Industrial megalopolis and said that conclusions from thee* again related excessive cancer vith asbestos exposure. Tyler, Taxes also was reviewed, and the HeShouse and Thompson neighborhood exposure study also was mentioned. 1ft. Binae hen studied effects of neighborhood and secondary (conjugal) exposure in the Patterson, Hew Jersey eras. In the first 130 people cheeked, 503 have chest abnormalities. Laager stated pleural plaques arc occurring abroad sort in non-asbestos workers in certain industries, notably ship building and construction, than they do in asbestos workers. This is attributed to tbs fact that the non-asbestoa workers do their jobs without respiratory protection but near enough to the asbestos work to breathe con taminated air. The asbestos workers wear respirators. The safety of the 08HA ? fiber per ee limit waa questioned. Langer and hie associ ates art particularly concerned about exposure to fibers in the sub 5 micron range. He mentioned fibers of specific origin such as the Coalings area in California, which characteristically contain few fibers greater than 5 microns in length. Under the present standards, it would be possible to have workers exposed to very high eoncentratiens of thin type of dent on n nano banln without exsaeding the 5 fibers per ee ^renter than 5 mieroan in length parameter. A better Index of exposure er hesard is badly needed for thin type of notarial, an it is veil known to eanae problems. The Ocmrnn hnaiwinfear mans basis was mentioned as a possible alternate monitoring method, but it . is recognised many difficulties would exist and that soma operators who are new okay at the 2 or 5 fpcc standard would become in violation on a nass basis. Mt. Binae Is extremely vary of smaller fibers and considers them very suspect in respect to mesothelioma and lung CA. They question the effectiveness of existing respirators for protection against mesothelioma and lung CA and are not at all willing mS\ 03A33 -3- I to dismiss than u being biologically Insignificant. They have found mb light / microscopic fibers by electron microscopy in tbo tissue of Tirtually all major I body organa of aabaatoa vorkers. Additional taata ara bring nada to datamine \ quantity and aim diatribntion of flbara in tiaaua of tha general public. While tbay aonaidar tha burgeoning urn of aabaatoa vorrieoae, Mb, Sinaa raaogniaas tha Mad*, far lt aad reeoomend it ba uaad wherever needed provided it can ba aaalad in aa it doaao't beams airborne. Langar oltad good ralatiooahiya with J-M eoatrary to popular opinion add expressed nigh regard for Dr. Kotia. Ba quoted Kotin aa aaying J-M would "ban" aabaatoa if tbay can't oontrol it. j Langar spake to the immunity of eon* individuals to aaboatoa dlaeaae, but said others j also seen to bo hyparauseaptibla. Vo one hnowa what level is "safe" if any! Tha ; gellkoff/Lewinsohn controversy vas aantlonad. Laager received to Mt. Sinaa'a "apye" in Oraat Britain and aald they believe ineidaoca of aabaatoa dlaeaae to exposure is TOJf vareua 7$ previously reported. Ba aantlonad tha "trsmandous furor" that vas raised inltfm during tha recant international conference and predicts there rill be a similar furor bare whan OSSA reopens hearings on the asbestos standard. Be vary notch , motions whathar tha 2 fpce TLV vill stand in light of tha severe erltlclaa to which j 1thrill be subjected. Dr. Bohl of Mt. Sinaa briefly discussed results of their studies in brake repair shops la Haw Jersey and the Bar York area. Ha bad intended to shov slides and present a langar talk, presumably alailar to tha one ha gave at the AOOZH conference in Mimni, but tha slide machine broke down and Dr. Langar prompted aost of tha tlae that was available. Rohl aantlonad aasy light aicrosoope counts of ambrans filter samples yielding 3 to 5 fibers par ce up to 20 ft. from tha service area whan brake dross ! vara blown off with air horns. However, he vas aueh boots concerned shout the rela tively largo nuaber of eub 5 micron and mb light microscopic fibers found up to 75 ft. away tram this operation 15 alnutas and longer after tha bloving was performed. I. B. Weaver grh FMSI 03134