Document 44bxRXzd30oq72ambXEgDgNXx

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1966 Dec 6 DOC NMA203 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Government Press Release a ; . ae - - Appendix U HARDESTY = 963-7934 HOME - 654-0231 : U. S. CEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION EDUCATION AND WELFARE Public Health Service Division of Occupational Health 49 I : | PROFESSIONAL RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE a . . a December 9 1966 . ma high Cincinnati Ohio Exposure to levels of asbestos dust 20 to 30 rate years ago are probably responsible for a 21 increase in the death large group among certain workers in a recently studied by the Public Health , Service This excess was due to cancer of the lung and gastrointestinal tract and to asbestosis In other asbestos industries studied where dust levels were relatively low even though there was term exposure the Ceath ratio were much lower The report was presented to 22 experts on environmental disease attendAng a Conference on Asbestos Research sponsored by occupational health officials of the Public Health Service here this week While dust levels have been sharply reduced in the asbestos textile industry where the excess mortality was found the finding adds to the grow- ing evidence that asbestos exposure is associated with cancer of the lung said Dr. Murray C. Brown Chief of the Division of Occupational Health who Philip made the report Dr. Brown's report was based on research being conducted by Dr. Enterline of McGill University and Dr. Mildred Kendrick of the Division of Occupational Health Their data is taken from the Social Security Admin- istration records for 21,755 men who had worked in the three industries and from death certificates from State health departments oe CRMC Anholl ADUL - AAR AA 2 om The Conference was held to exchange information on asbestos research rograms now underway and to identify gaps in research as well as areas _ needing greater attention - The conferees agreed on the need for a broader attack on the many prob- lems related to asbestos as an industrial as well as a potential environ- .: mental contaminant High on the list of research priorities were studies of population groups with both heavy and light exposures to asbestos fibers smal In waking such investigations the types of asbestos as well as other asso- entail | ciated factors must be considered in evaluating both types of exposures It was pointed out that is is not known whether asbestos mineral fibers are vehicles or carriers of carcinogenic chemicals or are active themselves The group stressed that there must be expanded laboratory animal stud- les of the effects of different types of asbestos dusts alone and in com- i. nation with various metals and hydrocarbons - They said that present ..thods for the accurate indentification of asbestos fibers in tissue are inadequate and must be improved There was also concern about the need for standardization of diagnostic methods better diagnostic terminology for pathologic and radiographic de- scription of lung changes and pleural tumors Similiarly techniques for the collection Identification and quantitation of asbestos fibers in the industrial and community environment need refinement and standardization This latest information indicates that asbestos is causing problems and we intend to move rapidly toward an intensified program to get answers to some of the more urgent questions Dr. Brown told the conferees eee ae BODMin ae In the meantime is important that those producers and users who are not showing proper regard to the health hazards of asbestos dust institute controls which have already been shown to reduce the dust problem While we really do not know how controls can be applied in all of the endless varieties of work situations and sites these questions can be answered through the types of diligent painstaking work that have been out- lined at this meeting Dr. Brown concluded Asbestos is a generic term applied to a number of fibrous crystalline silicate minerals Although chenically they are grouped as hydrated sill- cates there is a great variation in the degree of hydration complex compo- sition of the silicate and physical properties of the crystalline fibrous structure structure These differences make it difficult to assess the fibers @f. , Teets on the lung a4 i Se . Although asbestos has been known for centuries it has only been a mineral of significant industrial importance for about 75 years With out- standing properties of chemical resistance fibrous structure and incom- bustibility the material is used in practically every major industry Over one million workers are involved in the manufacture or handling of asbuctos products Major applications include textile manufacturing felts ropes roofing and flooring materials asbestos pipes gaskets insulation special papers filters plastics and brake linings Current domestic consumption of the mineral in the manufacture of ee asbestos products is nearly 800,000 tons Of the three forms of asbestos we chrysotile accounts for about 95 percent of this figure with amosite at em 22 CRMC Ache Health DOD 0040 es > at about 20,000 tons and crocidolite at about 10,000 tons making up the into ' remainder Because most of the mineral is imported this country researchers in the field feel that the greatest potential health prob- lens in America exist for those who work with asbestos rather than for those who mine it re fw _o _ e BODMin