Document 3QrmLY9gy9O5G6qEpN96XNnB6

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION. AND WELFARE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. NATIONAL TOXtCOLOCY PROGRAM P.O. DOX 12233 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK. N.C. 27709 Biological Effects-of Ingested Asbestos ' Status.Report-January-22, 1931 Introduction .The HI Iks', is conducting aTseries-'of studiesvbn' th'e-effects of ingested asbestos. ' These studies-are-part of the-NIEHS commitment that is directed "by the recently established. National Toxicology Program. The Environmental Protection Agency has contributed approximately 102 of the total funding. A summary of the evolution- of the study is to be found in Appendix A. A .paper,- given at a Workshop on Asbestos, Gaithersburg, Maryland, July 1977, .detailing the studies' design and implementation is attached (Appendix B). and single samples'of amosite aterial are being tested. A repository of these materials was established and has also served .as a Each material has been extensively characterized as to physical and chemical properties. The fiber size characterization performed by the Illinois Institute of Technology Research "Institute (IITRI), Chicago, Illinois, has been completed and a final report received. The'chemical and physical property characterization performed by the U. S. Bureau of Mines is also completed. . \. ' Hamster Studies . Thr.ee asbestos materials are being studied at IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL. .The lifetime exposure phase of these experiments has .been completed.. There v/as. no indication of major differences in the mortality rate between"the hamsters receiving the asbestos diet or the control diet.'-' Histopathologic examination'pf- tissues from female hamsters has been completed. The contractor has .reported that a preliminary analysis of the hamster data indicates that no carcinogenic or cocarcinogenic effect v/as observed. A standard independent quality review of the . pathology results has been completed for the female hamster. .A similar ' review of the male hamsters is in progress and is expected to be completed in March 1981. Analyses"of the verified data and preparation of the draft report is in progress. The report is expected to be completed" a no submitteri to the KTP Bo~ard of Scientific Counselors1 Technical Report Sub committee for independent public peer review in Hay 19S1. CAPCO JEN 0032637 Five test-materials are being studied in this species at the Hazleton Laboratories, Vienna, Virginia. In addition, a subset of two studies includes neonatal as well as lifetime oral expqsureto asbestos. The lifetime exposure phase of the study has been completed.- Although data has not yet been statistically analyzed, it appears that longevity was - not affected by exposure to the -various types of fibers, although the . known carcinogen (OMH) did significantly shorten lifespan. The histo pathologic phase of the study is in progress and is projected to be completed in October 1981--there are a total of 5-,153 rats to be examined. The histopathologic evaluation is to be completed by group and then sub jected to pathology quality review. Sequential issuance of .final reports 'by asbestiform type is being considered with the first reports projected. to be available for public peer review in December 19S1. . .{* * **. ,,*** , * -. 'j'V ' 7* " ' *; \.r : /sV :; . A* CAPCO JEN 0032638 '* ,* % 4 V, ' *. * * ^ *V * .v , * . 1 S'CooMgScsSlccs- \ R Saturday, October 11,1933/Frrt H j jof asbestos--a-known carcinogen--}: if cd with water; from other sources H have been'found'in .-'water trans-':*"'before'it'is pumped to consumers. ported to" the Southland via the Cal-.-v. Los Angeles.-which gets most of its -1 tifomia Aqueduct; Metropolitan Wa- 'j water;.from'khe -'Owen 'Valley -t ter District officiais-ssid Friday; . project, receives only about. 5% of 1 .all the-asbestos has-been removed-.' 'processes takeout about 99% of the .by filtration, and John Gaston of the. -asbestos,.. Kennedy said,: adding, I State Department of Public Health' "Some of thejsamp'.es'.v/eVe taken';; said he. thought there -W23 ."no d:s-. 'down here shbw-'no detectable lev-" cemible health hazard.y.y -.eh" vr-'.-'.'c-;- \ "There has been no link between : -v-Last summer's tests' for .asbestos summer'-apparently" came - from r.f-KIcroscopefceedcd* - ; storm-;, runoff that;' had' '`drained through abandoned asbestos mines* v- `ptlronically,'that normal.conceit- `t __ fw *V . r%___ ft______ _______ _ _________"a-c ***~ * miles southwestorikcsno,is one or--'--- " ) the few Places where runoff is per- ' esmXtarclli--r,cafbrofuatiaHo*nKee-fponuerdyhaunidd.resdo," ?. * mitted to enter the aqueduct. The thousandth of ah inch in length-- i * aqueduct suppltcsrsome- of- the that they'c'an be viewed only with.*-* * drinking water used by 129 cities in an ultrasensitive electron micro- ' <.Southern California; among them scope, which magnifies the particles - t'LosAngeles. - . . about 2Q,0CQ times. i' CAPCO JEN 0032639