Document 3eKLV8Ka5BEr1RybjYjw7vEE0

FILE NAME Quebec Asbestos Mining Association QAMA DATE 0000 DOC QAMA166 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION QAMA Bulletin Special Issue Bulletin . PUBLISHEBDY L'ASSOCIATION DES D'AMIANTE QU^ BEC _ SPECIAL ISSUE WORLD SYMPOSIUM ON ASBESTOS The World Symposium on Asbestos held in Montr^'allast May drew about 700 participants from 49 countries Sponsored by the Government of Canada the Government of Qu^'becand the Commission of the European Communities the Symposium whose theme was Asbestos Health and Society enabled representatives of the scientific government industrial and labour sectors to have their opinions heard Given the volume of information gathered during some 22 hours of lectures and discussions it is to be expected that publishing of the proceedings in two languages will require long and arduous work Through the cooperation of several of its members who participated in the Symposium AMAQ was able to collect quite a few notes which complete the information already available from a tape of the discussions Although there is no question of drawing up a detailed report of the Symposium's proceedings it is however possible to focus on the highlights which in hindsight seem to stand out as the direction of this meeting This bulletin is being published with a view to synthesizing the findings and supporting them with the speakers remarks Conclusions of the Secretary General At the end of the Symposium its Secretary General Dr. J. Dunnigan reminded the participants in the closing speech that there was no simple answer to the main issue of the Symposium Can society live with asbestos Indeed although the participants answered yes to this question they nonetheless multiplied the warnings and demands for the exeroise and systematic and concerted application of legal and strict controls of asbestos at all levels Dr. Dunnigan moreover pointed out It is obvious that research is far from complete Much effort and time will be needed to fill in the numerous gaps in our knowledge The analysis of epidemiological data must be pursued so that the decisions of tomorrow can be made in the light of data that are more recent and extensive than what is available today especially with regards to the evaluation of risk of low levels of exposure in the occupational and occupational settings as well as in the general environment Concerning the general population I think we can say that with the pre- sent stage of knowledge on the real and identifiable biological effects no scientific or medical evidence allows us to conclude that there is a risk for the general public using asbestosbased products or that such risk if any would be greater than the multitude of other risks encountered by the citizens of a modern society in their daily lives In our societies where the respon- sibility of individuals groups and nations becomes increasingly necessary the widest and most objective information must be made available so that nations groups and individuals may take decisions in a responsible manner Dr. Dunnigan concluded If this first multidisciplinary symposium has contributed to the dissemination of extensive although sometimes contradictory information I will be happy to close these proceedings on an optimistic perspective Le Bulletin| Asbestos Health and Society Although the wide variety of factors involved in the asbestos issue make it difficult to get an overall view which is both complete and objective the Symposium made it possible to orientations henceforth determine the main orientations which henceforth should guide scientists governments industry and labour unions in taking up their positions and in drawing up their policies information on asbestos is or could at least for regulatory purposes be con- sidered abundant in comparison to Information we have on many other toxic substances And in general although there are uncertainties there is a prolific amount of information avilabe and sufficient to take some amount of regulatory action So although we've been dis- cussing these uncertainties today we should not neglect to focus our attention on the fact that much is known about asbestos much more perhaps than we know about many other toxic substances in the environment today Mr Marlonik also reiterated the American Government's position which through the OSHA intends to ensure the safety of asbestos workers and the population in general by set- ting up suitable controls and regulations He also stated that the industry should take its share of responsibility in the implementation of this policy All these remarks coincide well with a context of cooperation at all levels for controlling asbestos so that Society may continue to benefit from its qualities without having to worry about possible negative effects No to Banning Yes to Controls No matter where the speakers who succeeded each other to the rostrum came from no matter their leaning or specialty it was very clear that with the scientific knowledge and technology currently available it would be unwarranted to ban asbestos Dr. I. Selikoff is interesting to note here that Dr Irving Setikoff Director of the Environmental Sciences Laboratory of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine admitted that the setting of sultable controls would make it possible to con tinue living with asbestos In fact during the question period following his address he stated If asbestos use is properly controlled it need not be banned In the vernacular of the United States the ball is now in the industry's court The problem is proper control and if that is achieved as I said in 1976 a ban will not be requested Moreover although Dr Selikoff did not say exactly what he expected from the industry he did strongly insist that everything possible be done in the future to ensure the safety of all This discussion will not be able to answer the critical question should the use of asbestos be continued if evi- dence is also not available that it can be safely used that there will be on all safety measures not minimal controls but maximum capabilities Would this prevent all asbestos disease No but it will avoid all that can be avoided at least at this time It may well be that to do less than we can will be unacceptable A. Gorsuch For her part Ms Anne Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency EPA who was at the Symposium to present the American policy regarding asbestos legislation also indicated that the banning of asbestos would not be a suita ble measure Given what we know about asbestos today we realize that any premature rejection of all uses because of politicized theories about potential dangers would have been clearly out of order There were many questions from the regarding regarding this posiblity of society asbestos to use and its products Although most speakers did not hesitate to recommend sus- tained and going effort lowards asbestos controls They admitted that the technology research and political will this recard have already made il possible to live with asbestos and will continue to do so in the future Dr. J.C. McDonald In addition during one of the Symposium's panel discussions Dr Corbett McDonald of Director McGill University's Institute of Occupational Health and Safety clearly indicated that asbestos mining did not pose any particular hazards for people living in mining regions My opinion is that provided reasonable standards of hygiene are the general population in the chrysotile mining districts In Black Lake for example are not at any detectable risk It will be recalled that Dr. McDonald directed several asbestos studies one which is among the most important epidemiological studies dealing with the Thetford Mines and Black Lake region J.F. Martonik John F Martonik Deputy Director of Health Standards Programs of the US Department of Labor also favoured continuous control of asbestos par- ticularly through adequate regulations In this regard he stressed the impor- lance of the volume and quality of scientific data already available for setting up control structures which are both fair and strict From the standpoint scientific regulatory the 2 Controls Scientific and Economic Implications As regards the setting up of controls the representatives of the scientific community the governments the industry and the workers allenipted to determine the factors which any future regulating of asbestos should take into account If In light of their remarks the scien- tific information appears to be the very basis for any regulatory process il also appears that the social and economic costs related to the imple- menting of the legislative measures be should taken into consideration W. Simpson The conclusions of the British Advisory Committee were in expressed in the same spirit as the Comite's is ChairmaMnr. William Simpson who also President of the Health and Safety Commission lold the Symposium certainly The evidence for strategy pointed to a in to the minimum that was reasonably and ble in legal British language means balancing the risk against the cost And the recommendations of the Committee did suggest that we would have a maximum limit exposure level and the continuing duty on people to reduce exposure to the levels that were reasonably practicable A. Gorsuch While reiterating the American Government's policy objectives regarding asbestos Ms Anne Gorsuch said that the Environmental Protection Agency EPA of which she is the Administrator would not fail to take economic requirements into account when it draws up its recommendations On behalf of President Reagan I reaffirm the United States commitment to the protection of the environment in ways that ensure the health safety and being of our people and the people of the international community She continued This administration will integrate its environmental policies with its measures for promoting the economy and easing the burdens borne by our people because of governmental programs N. Venkataraman Moreover , it appeared that the costbenefit concept differs according to the level of industrialization of a country particularly in developing nations due to their economic require- ments In this regard Mr Nagaswami Venkataraman Executive Director of Hinduslan Ferodo Limited stressed The vital role played by asbestos in the key sectors of India's economy Asbestos plays a major role in the key sectors of the Indian economy andin India's plans for growth moder- nization and reliance It is also evident that if these plans are not to be adversely affected the use of asbestos is likely to increase in the 1980's ... Looking at the prospect of substitutes for asbestos it is seen that at the present time there is no economically viable alternative which is available in sufficient quantities and which can be used in existing processes C. Ushewokunze Describing the special situation of a developing nation which produces asbestos Mr Christopher Ushewokunze Secretary of the Ministry of Mines in Zimbabwe pointed out that asbestos helps to improve the livIng conditions of Third World communities Asbestos products are particularly significant to developing countries ... In Africa and Asia this material provides fabricated cost housing systems which provide an immense benefit where there are serious housing problems Asbestos pipes are relatively light compared to concrete and steel and of course are comparatively cheap LBY ullatin| The Population is Safe The issue of asbestos and the environment was widely debated during a session specially devoted to the multiple aspects of occupational exposure Dr. J. Siemiatycki Dr Jack Siemiatycki an epidemiologist with the Institut Frappier of Montr^'al presented the conclusions of a study sponsored by the Qu^'becDepartment of Social Affairs and conducted recently on the people living in the asbestos region The results of this study now make it possible to state among other things that females living in the towns of Thetford Mines and Asbestos are experiencing no excess mortality due to asbestos exposure This is all the more remarkable given the fact that these people are exposed to a concentration of fibres in the air and water thal is infinitely higher than elsewhere due to the presence and mining of chrysotile deposits nearby Dr Siemiatycki pointed out that Despite the fact that these women have been exposed most of them Since childhood to an environment which may have been a 100 times or more polluted with chrysotile asbestos than those reported in some major North American and European cltles they have not experienced expriencd experienced mortality rates significantly in excess of Qu^'bec rates The confidence Ilmits would indicate that these results are certainly compatible with the hypothesis of no excess risk W. Felbermayer In order to gel as complete a picture as possible of the effects of asbestos on the general population it was essential to study also emissions into the environment which could be related to finished products This aspect of the issue was researched by Mr Wolfgang Felbermayer Head of the Institute for Environmental Protection and Clean Air in Austria The study was more specifically aimed at determining the consequences on the environment of widely used asbestos roofing in a given site The object of the study was to answer the following questions What is the total concentration of fibres in the air and how are they distributed What influence do weather changes have on the libre concentra- tion in the air Does the normal wear ol asbestos products increase the concentration of asbestos fibres in the environment To answer these questions the researchers analyzed air samples from sites with and without asbestos- cement roofing One of the most remarkable results of this study is the demonstration that the concentrations of asbestos fibres in the air which can be attributed to asbestos roof- ing are always below 1 fibre per litre no matter what weather changes occur Mr Urs Mani presented the report on the study to the Symposiumn At the test sites with and without asbestos cement roofing the total fibre concentration has the same magnitude as organic and inorganic fibre concentrations ... The extent of the total fibre concentration is dependent on environmental factors such as type of heating land use and so forth It was possible to correlate fibre concentrations with seasonal conditions only at sites with asbestos roofing ... The average calculable asbestos fibre concentrations at the two test sites are lower than the determining limit of 1 fibre per litre M. Ross Finally Mr Malcolm Ross Research Mineralogist with the United States Geological Survey reminded reminded the assembly that the presence of asbestos in the environment and the resutting exposure for the population could not be solely related to the commercial mining of this are In fact asbestos exists in its natural state throughout the earth's crust It can be found in water as well as in soils In addition to the various types of asbestos which are mined commercially geologists and mineralogists have found that asbestiform fibres are present in other types of ares Finally according to the mineralogist the extraction of certain ores such as gold emits mineral fibres which are chemically identical to asbestos fibres and represent similar risks Mr Ross therefore concluded The problem of occupational exposure not only extends from the use of commercia asbestos but from all sorts of other activities that we might not think as directly related to asbestos exposure Having presented these facts the author concluded his address with a sarcastic remark aimed at unwavering disparagers of asbestos If a carcinogen is defined as something that will cause cancer when implanted into animals -and -and it appears that some portion of the particles in many kinds of rock dust could when implanted into experimental animals cause some tumors then we have a defini- tion that a significant portion of the earth's crust is a carcinogen 4 Substitutes an Uncertain Avenue Medical and scientific research combined with technology have made it possible today to provide for the safety of the workers and the population in the extraction and processing of the fibre On the other hand is stilt difficult at the present time to achieve the same certainty for every product although studies are being conducted to determine the safe uses of asbestos Aware of this fact the industry the governments and the scientists have collaborated in the development of substitutes which would offer better guarantees of quality and safety than asbestos However the very properties of asbestos fibre and its many applica- tions make its replacement an extremely complex issue A. Pye This was emphasized by Mr. Andrew Pye Associate Editor of Design Engineering Magazine of Great Bri- tain who collaborated in a study on substitutes The point that I wish to is that the of substitution asbestos containing materials will not be by a single universal product rather each application has to be considered individually The resultant erosion of the supply infrastructure of the user industries will evidently lead to cost penalties associated with the use of substitutes Dr. R. Bluzat In fact the speakers who dealt with this matter had to admit that in the majority of cases the substitutes offered no more guarantees than asbestos and that consequently any substitution at the present time seemed premature This opinion was supported by Dr Roger Bluzat Research Consultant for Gobain Mousson in France using the example of asbestos In my opinion asbestos cannot disappear yet - and I do mean yet - from cement because the substitute products still do not have all the qualities required Dr Bluzat then expanded on his statement particularly with regard to biology technology and cost implications First of all concerning the biological safety of artificial mineral fibres let's say that this safety as Dr. Chris Wagner said is probable but is not yet guaranteed ... Secondly there is the aspect of the durability of the products With synthetic and organic fibres as well as with fibreglass resistance problems within the cement are still very complex and probably still not resolved Finally there is a cost problem which must be mentioned even If it won't please everybody The substitute product is more expensive and for the time being this higher cost goes hand in hand with poorer quality Hence replacement is probably possible on the long term and is currently the subject of intensive studies In the short term however I think that the efforts are being directed at a manufacturing method and types of use which keep exposure to a minimum it appears from these discussions that current scientific knowledge does not permit to draw conclusions regarding the biological effects of the substitute fibres whether they are organic or inorganic Selected Safe Uses The recommendation to reduce exposure levels through selective regulation according to the types of libres and products seems to be the general direction taken by a good num- ber of the speakearnsd participants at the Symposium W. Hunter In particular it is the position adopted by the CEC and presented by Mr William Hunter Principal Administrator of the Health and Safety Directorate of the Commission of the European Communities Exposure reduction indivdual and is to take place by technical protection Limit values proposed for crocidolite are of 0.2f and for other types of asbestos as cc Mr Hunter aiso pointed out that if asbestos is to be 5 L E | * Selected Safe Uses replaced there must be the assurance that the substitutes offer better guarantees of quality and safely Referring to a proposal of the CEC he explained that with regard to finding a replacement asbestos shall be rep- laced by suitable and gafer when they are . For the moment the Commission is proposing regulations dealing with the restrictive use of asbestos through a selection of fibres and products considered safe There is a requirement for crocidolite which prohibits crocidolite except in asbestos pipes and in resisting seals gaskets and joint packings There are other prohibitions there is a prohibition as regards insulation air filters and roadway surfacing and also a prohibition when asbestos is used solely for decorative purposes Dr. J.C. McDonald Along the same lines but referring to the manufacturing of the products rather than their use Dr Corbett McDonald stressed the variations in the dimension and very nature of the risk depending on the type of fibre and type of industrial process Referring to the four major epidemiological studies dealing with the response rela- tionship as regards lung cancer and to the results of 24 studies as regards mesothelioma Dr McDonald drew attention to the fact that There are very marked differences in the risk in different industrial situations and very diferences , par- ticularly relating to mesothelioma in relation to the fibre types I would say that unless society can control asbestos using measurements of the fibres of the size that really are caus- ing trouble then it would be best to take notice of these differences and perhaps to concentrate its social needs in the industries of lower risk which in general are probably the fric- tion industries and the cement indus- tries certainly not Insulation very questionably textile and to be very or the use of the amphiboles I will not say that it might not be possible to deal with the amphiboles if we had an adequate measures of exposure During the panel discussion which followed his address Dr. McDonald sard regarding chrysotile am reasonably happy that it is possible to mine chrysotile probably to make friction products probably to make pipe cement products at level where no epidemiologist would be able to detect an excess risk Asbestos A Decision for Society Following the many addresses and discussions at the Symposium a consensus was reached to the effect that the future of asbestos ties in the development of suitable regulations and the systematic application of strict control measurferosm the moment the fibre is mined to its use in the form of finished products including all phases of its handling However the condi- tions of this control and the basis for these regulations still give rise to major differences of opinion between the various parties concerned Dr. J. Peto Furthermore it must be recognized that the scientific data which must be the basis for any decision do not always tally This point was raised by Dr. Julian Peto epidemiologist epidemiologist with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund at Oxford University The speaker fact stressed the need for researchers to reach a consensus before supplying society with the data required for any decision On the other hand Dr Peto pointed out that the scientist cannot be asked to give the answer to a moral or polit cal question Rights and respon- rather sibilities are moral and social scientific than issues and scientifc scientist a is no better qualified than anyone else to decide whether a risk of 1 In 1 000 or 1 in 10 is acceptable The scientist's job is to decide whether the risk at a particular level of exposure is in fact 1 in 000 or 1 in 10 While recognizing that the assess- ment of the risk is still a complex task for all parties concerned Dr Pelo is of the opinion that it is up to Government to determine what is an acceptable risk since this is a political decision It seems to me evident that neither management nor labour can be expected to adjudicate fairly in con- flicts involving their interest So the primary responsibility for both regula- tion and effective enforcement has to lie with the government The government and hence in fact society will bear the primary responsibility both for failing to get the best advice and for failing to act on it 6 New Scientific Data The chemical differences noted between the raw asbestos fibre and the processed fibre could produce marked variations in their biological effects on man Dr. J. Dunnigan At least this is what can be inferred from the synthesis of about twenty scientific studies presented at the Symposium by Dr Jacques Dunnigan Director General of de Institut Recherche et de D^'veloppementsur l'Amiante IRDA Showing that the surface properties play a determining role in the toxicity of fibrous materials these studies provide important information which could prove to be an essential element in any future regulating of asbestos and its products In addition this finding adds a new dimension the theory developed by Mr. Miller Stanton accordintgo which physical properties of the fibre could be the principal factor responsible for the biological effects of asbestos According to Dr. Dunnigan Fibrous particles which may be emitted or released from finished products may very well be chemically different from the original fibres This in turn may very well lead to a biological of their biolgcal effects the Stresing importance that such a difference could have in terms of regulations he added Regulations concerning the use of finished products are not scientifically supported if arrived at by extrapolation of the biological or obtained data after to pure un- Regulations modified fibres nate the should therefore discrimi of chrysotle in which the fibres have been altered chemically and those uses in which pure chemically modified fibres may be emitted Dr. A. Langer Dr Dunnigan's remarks were supported by Dr. Arthur Langer Associate Director of the Environmental Sciences Laboratory of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine New folowing discusion York During the panel the discusion line any Dr Langer in fact declared The bottom isis thatin study whether it's an epidemiological study or an anima study or an IN VITRO study the materials must be thoroughly characterized physically and chemically to make sense of the overall pattern A. Deruyttere On the practical side a comparative study made it chemical possible to differentiate between the properties of virgin dust and dust Mr. Andr^' Deruyttere Head of the Physical Metallurgy Section of the University of Leuven Belgium presented the details of this research which he conducted He explained in particular that if the two types of dust are submitted to various tests including that of absorption it Is found that the reaction of the fibrocement dust is closer to that of cement than that of pure asbestos According to the author the following general conclusion can be drawn One should not consider that everything which applies to virgin asbestos also applies to asbestos dust It would Investigaons and from be interesting of dust end however to in other of other make circumstances similar or which have been processed in a different way Dr. P. S^'bastien Furthermore during the discussion following the Dr Patrick S^'bastien , S^'bastien France also stressed the importance that the data on the biological effects related to the fibre's chemical characteristics could have on epidemiological studies We already have evidence showing that the dose mechanisms such as deposit purification translocation durability cell controlled penetration are tain physico by among other things cercharacteristics of the fibres Unfortunately the epidemiologists have not been able up to now to incorporate these data into their studies The to only data available in millions them was the level of pollution of per cubic foot which information might not be specific enough In addition he stressed the importance of analyzing lissues for assessing exposures I'd like to mention that there are methods inspired from biological monitoring which by characterizing and determining the quantity of fibres human biological samples enable to better document asbestos exposures and particularly past On this same subject Dr Alison McDonald Program Director at the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health in Montr^'alpointed out that recent laboratory results from the analysis of senes of lung tissues agree with the findings of other epidemiological studies | The Industry's Position While stressing the importance of the progress achieved in the field of asbestos over the past ten years the Symposium made it possible to better assess the work which remains to be done In view of this the industry reiterated through its representatives that it would fully assume its responsibilities This was in essence the message of Mr. Jean Dup^'r^A' MAQ President and of Mr. Etienne van der Rest Chairman of the Board of the AIA Asbestos International Association The first duty of industry is to take all necessary precautions so that at the stage of extraction of fibres from the mines of manufacture of products using asbestos as a raw material and finally of utilisation of the finished products likely to release the fibres there is no socially unacceptable risk In the light of current knowledge industry is working on the basis that there is a socially acceptable risk when the fibre level is kept below 2 / cm3 a level which today has been adopted in most countries Industry feels that it is one of its duties to keep an open objective and constructive discussion going with governmental trade union medical scientific and consumer interest circles and to seek with them suitable solutions which are acceptable to everyone - Etienne van der Rest - Association des mines d'amiante du Qu^'bec The debate on asbestos is not over yet The case remains open because the evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of asbestos cannot be done in isolation without weighing the positive and negative aspects of substitution which still remains entirely to be evaluated whether with regard to the health and safety of the workers and the public product safety or environmental protection The industry I represent unreservedly supports the principle of applying standards and regulations that would govern asbestos and its usage What is more it recently even took the initiative of setting up an information centre devoted to promoting the safe use of asbestos one of the essential tasks of this centre being to make countries still without laws and regulations of this nature aware of the importance of doing so without delay What we ask of the legislators and regulatory bodies is that they recogn- ize the progress made in the last 20 years in resolving the problems related to asbestos and in developing techniques and products that are in every way the equal as regards safety of thousands of products that are used daily and that no one would ever think of questioning What we also ask inasmuch as the objective of the laws and regulations is to protect the workers and the public and not to destroy an industry or a product at the expense of another industry or product is that asbestos be viewed in terms of the potential and limitations for its safe use today and not in terms of the conditions under which it was produced and used 25 30 or 40 years ago This is all we ask Nothing more Nothing less - Jean Dup^'r^- ' Editor's note Quotations of Drs are translations from Bluzat and French S^'bastien Hel Mas igseni Mery ee |Bulletin| This BULLETIN is published by l'Association des mines d'amiante du Qu^'bec 1130 Sherbrooke Street West Suite 410 Montr^'alH3A 2M8 The Post Office Department in Ottawa has authorized postage paid in cash and forwarding ci the publication by third class mail MR BARRY CASTLEMAR 1722. LINDEN AVE BALTIMORE MD 21217 U.S.A. Canada Postes i Post Postage paid Canada Port paye Bulk third class En nombre troisi^me classe 264 Montr^'alP.Q.