Document 3NkbjzQaE1QNpNw6D1JpLOxYy

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: July 31, 1973 DOC#: USG085 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1973 Letter to M Ehrmann from Dr Selikoff regarding research on toxicity of asbestos % 'V *1 M O U N T SINAI S C H O O L OF MEDICINE 0/The Cif>' University of New York F I F TM A V f N U B ANt > ' " " T H 5 T R E C T . N E V y o . . N Y. 7 7- fparlmtml 0/ Community Wtd.einr -'trs. Marie Ehrmann Li b r a n an--in--charge Research Center Library United States Gypsum Company- ' 1000 East Northwest Highway Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 Dear Mrs. Ehrmann: July 31, 1973 the comparative tori cl t ^ o / c h r r a l t f l " a l b e i t ^ 1"vestiff*tlons Into ^ r-srs. a s aaima/modeli/do lllTnlllIZZT'" ^ - " - I v a h U that the fiber varieties: this pIhl ? " 2 nl*ht exlst " "* the tion la . number o f ! . i ! ! ! ! ? ! 11 th s"Jt of Investiga la the chrysotile mlnas*ln " nslde" that hi. studies mesothelioma than asbesto,!. f 0TM l M S lu"* " cor and his observation that more times as much l u n g Jl7 heavn xpsed groups. " P03e'1 Vary worrisome is 1n.r. had live would provide c l / " ! ! " I! . " 0r* H " 1* " <. This shestos, since the l,,dl" d l ! c o n e ! " ! " *" " * O p o t i l e this fiber variety. Too rev! d b d been *xPsed only to numerous cases of asbestsis n *"rnys among these men has shown or asbestosis, demonstrating the fibrogenic effect. t ^ r ^ n c i ^ p S t S i i Z T t ev r u d i e s h a v e a i s b - n This is more complicated since if < exPsed only to chrysotile. that the Popu l a t L L concerned neverSh: 1CUlt ^ b* 8bS1Utely - r e to other fiber varieties One .,,,,v ? "d exposure, however small, Mancuso in 1963, and an i n m S L T h 'dy *** rePrted b7 Dr. Thomas vestigated was found(2) meetings by Dr. j * ; . telitiT Anoth- c*nr:'r ? risk of the population in b" 16p0rted at - i - t i f i c tional Safety and Health, while this h *nal Institute for Occupa t i l e press, I am sure S l o t y ^ u w 1 l manuscript from Dr. Wagoner. th* SCible t0 obtain copy of the P LA IN T IFF S ;%, EXHIBIT tXSk-137 I' Mrs. Marie Ehrmann -2 7/31/73 i l Dr. Joseph Wagoner, Acting Director Division of Field Studies & Clinical Investigation National Institute for Occupational Safety and Healt ___ _ 5S0 Main Street ~ Federal Building, Room 7033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 In obtaining information on the question, advantage may be taken of another set of circumstances. Amosite and crocidolite, the other two aajor fibers used in commerce, are not mined in North America, and must be imported. Records of these imports have been kept by the Department of Commerce. We find that only trivial quantities of these fibers were imported until the 1940's and of these small amounts, crocidolite was not used in any insulation materials, although amosite was. Therefore, experience of asbestos insulation workers during the 1940's and 1950's (especially, the former) cannot be ascribed to other than the one asbestos fiber that was in regular use in insulation materials during the 1930's - chrysotile. Since lung cancer rates, as well as the occurrence of mesothelioma and deaths of asbestosis! , were demonstrably increased among these men during the 1940's and 1950's, we may infer the chrysotile-associated risk among them(3-5). ' Since the problem is an important one, I expect that more information will become available within the next several years. . Sincerely yours, IJS:jlr 1. McDonald, J.C. , McDonald, A.D. , fli4 uh uK ae , .twtf. , Caii emia. ai.y__c__Kt .ij , j . and Rossiter, C.E. Mortality in the chrysotile asbestos mines and mills of Quebec. Arch. Envnron. Health. 22(6)677-686, June 1971. 2. Mancuso, T.F. and ConLter, E.J. Methodology in industrial health studies. The cohort approach, writh special reference to an asbestos company. Arch. Environ. Health 3(2):210-226 (Feb.) 1963. 3. Selikoff, I.J., Churg, J. and Hammond, E.C. Asbestos Exposure and Neoplasia. J.A.M.A. 188:22-26, 1964. Selikoff, I.J. , Chu/'g, J. and P.ammond, E.C. The occurrence of - - asbestosis among insulation workers in the United States. Anns. N.Y. Acad. Scs. 13i.(l):139-155, Dec. 31, 1965. 5 Selikoff, I.J., Hr.mnond, E.C. and Churg, J. Asbestos exposure, smoking and neoplnsia. J.A.M.A 204(2):106-112, April 1968