Document 2q52qRB6YKKOLqGam3roBReYp

AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY \ lime 13 JUNE, 1952 Number 2 Air Pollution Abatement by the Chemical Industry -- Review and Survey -- J. M. GILLET > great deal of our discussion at this conference will center on avoidance of pollution. If there were no pollution Start with, there would need to be no ement, and our committee would have iange its name. We shall talk about can be done before a plant is placed Operation or even built, to insure that fair that may pass through, over, or Jnd it, will still be acceptable as the Jsphere in which our neighbors, our jtbyees, our customers, and our share6rs can live in health, comfort, and Intment. idence of the importance our industry ijes to pollution avoidance came to recently when the board of directors Irge chemical company denied authori- to its management to start con ation of a multi-million dollar project ise the provisions made for suppresjffume effluents were, in their opinion, equate. This shows the trend in the leal industry; processes are so de- as to reduce to a minimum the ex^ng to the air of odors, fumes, and and then there are provided scrubabsorbers, furnaces, or precipitators luce these effluents to an unobjectionfijuantity. Air Pollution Abatement Manual, is being assembled under the sponip of this committee, is intended to . available to industry as a whole, a (jilted at Seventh Air Pollution Abatement Conp,Manufacturing Chemists* Association, Hotel * blew York City, February 25 and 26, 1952. large quantity of information on acceptable limits for impurities, methods of analysis, the capabilities of different kinds of equip ment to do various jobs, a comprehensive bibliography, and comments on how to work with the plant community to promote mu tual good will and confidence. The main objective in these air pollution studies is how to get acceptably clean air in the community dt the least cost--for it does require spending large sums of money. This committee attempted a survey last year to see what our industry is spending to keep the air clean in its plant areas. Because so much of the cost is inseparable from the cost of the processing equipment and the manufacturing operations them selves, it was hard to get an accurate meas ure of what is being spent, but from the data reported by our member companies on plants where an accurate segregation of these costs was possible, it would appear that during the years 1946 through 1950, upward of $35,000,000 was spent on abate ment equipment, and that the annual cost of operating these abatement facilities is about $9,000,000. The cost of keeping the air clean con cerns not only the manufacturer, but also the public at large, for eventually the cost is unavoidably paid by the public. If the cost is added to the manufacturer's selling price, the purchasers of the goods pay it directly; if it is taken out of industry's profits, the tax collector is the principal loser. The government takes most of the corporations' profits before the owners even Page 60 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE QUARTERLY Vol. 13, No. 2 get a look at them. What the government leaves the industry to pay out as dividends, is again taxed as income to the share holders. Thus a reduction in company pro fits means a reduction in tax revenue to the government, which must be made up by raising the tax rates on all tax payers. Industry can be reasonably expected to keep pollution from its plants to a level that will avoid injury to health and financial loss to its neighbors, and to go even further in trying to avoid any discomfort or offense to the esthetic senses of the community; a point can be reached, however, beyond which further polishing up of the air be comes exceedingly costly; the community must then decide whether it can afford this extra luxury. Atmospheric pollution in this country has shown a marked decrease in many areas, and in the country as a whole. Part of this improvement has come about through better engineering knowledge and improved process design, part of it through an increasing awareness of responsibility. Pressure of public opinion on both indus try and the private citizens has had its effect, while in some of our larger cities, legal compulsion backed by sound public opinion, has been the effective force. The MCA believes that in principle, self regulation is the most desirable and least wasteful method of achieving clean air, or any other desired goal, although it may be slow. Self-regulation has been well called the keystone of a free society. It has been unpopular, however, during the past thirty years, which have seen the rise of big government in this country, socialism in Britain, and Fascism and Communism in Europe and Asia. In all of these areas government controls over many phases of human activity have been substituted for individual responsibility. I do not imply that government does not have a legitimate role to play in air pollution abatement, for it is often desir able to delegate leadership to agents of government, to focus and coordinate the community's effort to improve atmospheric conditions. Many cities and districts have pollution abatement agencies established by law and presided over by highly qualified administrators. It is particularly pleasing to us to have as our guests today so many outstanding pollution control and public health officials. We honor them for their notable achievements, and their intelligent! approach to the problems involved. Theirl leadership has achieved much, even in many! areas where the laws under which theyj operate are not too happily conceived. Ajj study of much of the legislation creating' pollution control authority shows that many' laws contain features that are good and some that are in themselves bad. It m greatly to the credit of our officials that first year the arguu an attempt should so-called model law see that no model than one situation, doned. We did, howeve tion that there we: principles which art , situation and which framing legislation these laws have been so intelligently and! patriotically administered as to avoid th evil consequences that could have resulte from some of these objectionable pro visions. Laws that curtail the liberties and invad- the rights of a free people are evil, eve: though they may be excused on the pie; that such curtailment is necessary to pro tect the. public from an irresponsible fringe! PullTK It should be remembered that in all histor; no free society ever capitulated to a die] tator who admitted his lust for power the freedom of Rome was lost as was thaj of Germany and Italy in our own time Atomic Energy P those who were granted more and mor control over the people for the ostensiblj purpose of protecting them. Even in thij country the late President Franklin Roosevelt campaigned for re-election i 1940 on the plea that during his first tw administrations, laws had been enact which if administered by a less benevolo! executive, could be used to shackle tn American people. j In drafting legal measures for effectinj the abatement of air pollution, the basj principles of a free society should be eve kept in mind, and equitable treatme; should be accorded to all components of affected areas. It is difficult to persuade manufacturer, for instance, that in the; Abstract: A revie , and symptoms c |sis of beryllium wo at progressive weif order named) i Itly findings associa boratory procedure ysiologic changes i Excretion of t es previous expos jbarently true of b Ijpiary tissue, .. * Studies of the re patients on a ca ^ regime indicatt 'jOwllity occurs. A largt days when capital is scarce and costs a; high, he should make big expenditures emphysema i distinct increase keep his tall stack from smoking, wh: within a half-mile radius of his plant, fr hundred house-holders are burning rubbi; in their alleys and low grade fuel in th; resented at a joint 8yTM New York Sect) Hygiene Associatio '`'Stair Univ<?rsity of Roc heating plants, while their wives co onions and fry fish in rancid fat. Our MCA committee has spent thrj years studying legislative proposals rel; ing to air pollution abatement. For t LY June, 1952 ution control and public We honor them for their tents, and their intelligent problems involved. Their hieved much, even in many i laws under which they too happily conceived. A of the legislation creating authority shows that many atures that are good and in themselves bad. It is credit of our officials that ! been so intelligently and ministered as to avoid the ;s that could have resulted these objectionable pro- VOL. 13, NO. 2 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE QUARTERLY Page 61 .first year the argument raged as to whether "an attempt should be made to frame a so-called model law. It wasn't too hard to see that no model was likely to fit more ` than one situation, and the idea was aban doned. h We did, however, come to a realiza tion that there were certain fundamental principles which are applicable to any area (Situation and which if used as a guide in .`framing legislation would avoid the most serious evils that have crept into some past legislation. These fundamentals will be discussed here this morning. We know there are differences of opinion on some of these factors, partly through a mis understanding of what is intended, and partly as a result of different points of view. We shall welcome an airing of these differences and hope we may end up with a better understanding of the problem and of our respective beliefs. tail the liberties and invade . free people are evil, even ay be excused on the plea lilment is necessary to pro:rom an irresponsible fringe, nembered that in all history Pulmonary and Metabolic Disturbances in Persons Exposed Industrially to Beryllium ever capitulated to a die- ? (fitted his lust for power;' DR. JOE W. HOWLAND Rome was lost as was that Professor of Radiation Biology and Chief of Division id Italy in our own time to Atomic Energy Project, The University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry re granted more and more le people for the ostensible >tecting them. Even in this ate President Franklin D. ipaigned for re-election in ea that during his first two s, laws had been enacted listered by a less benevolent Id be used to shackle the fie. legal measures for effecting of air pollution, the basic i free society should be ever, 1, and equitable treatment, rded to all components of the. It is difficult to persuade a; for instance, that in these, pital is scarce and costs are: Id make big expenditures to- \bstract: A review of the clinical signs and symptoms of pulmonary granuloma- feis of beryllium workers (berylliosis) shows jat progressive weight loss and dyspnea (in je order named) are the most consistent rly findings associated with the disease. All jboratory procedures parallel the expected (ysiologic changes and are not pathognomoc. Excretion of beryllium in urine indi ces previous exposure only. This is also iparently true of beryllium content of pulbnary tissue. [Studies of the respiratory physiology of i patients on a carefully controlled meta llic regime indicate that a marked variaJity occurs. A large factor may be the prespe of emphysema as a part of the process, ^ distinct increase in the arterio alveolar stack from smoking, while presented at a joint meeting of the Upper and mile radius of his plant, five Idstero New York Sections of the American Indus- !-holders are burning rubbish * ial Hygiene Association Saturday, December 1, 1951, UTTn_Jiv-..e...r...s<ity of Roc'hes-ter S- c-hoo-l of Medicine and : and low grade fuel in their : ..tjY'i istry. , gradient measured as p02 parallels the sever ity of the process. Use of oxygen raises the p02 in severe cases to normal levels. Metabolic study of these patients shows a defect in their ability to store protein in the tissues. Poor absorption of protein is shown in the presence of a high fecal nitrogen. Some abnormalities of the serum protein are shown by electrophoretic analysis. Speculation on the nature of these metabolic changes was engaged in. The dissimilarity between the ob served changes and those of pulmonary fibro sis suggests that they are not secondary to anoxia. Discussion of therapeutic procedures was carried out. Current opinion as to the na ture of ACTH and cortisone effects indicates that improvement may be less striking than originally reported, and that these materials only reduce the rapidity of the process. TJse of dietary measures and oxygen depends on the clinical status of the patient. ;s, while their wives cook y fish in rancid fat. r1 r* committee has spent threi g legislative proposals relat- ollution abatement. For the