Document 4aY7k3vvzYMogaEjg6BmN25jp

t MR. G. D. LLOYD ljFbtPOtf<>OB<B ^ INTEROFFICE date MAY ^7, 19*/^- TO MR. T. C. WALKER FROM R. S. BROCKMAN SUBJECT REFERRING TO LETTER OF HEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEETING HOTEL DSUlOyiO. NEW YORK CITY - MAY 10-11. 1974 I attended subject meeting accompanied bj Dr. L. H. Ballou Mr. G. L. Wilson. A copy of the meeting program is attached and I will report only on those papers and comments that I believe to be significant to our situation. The paragraph numbering system follows that given in the attached program. la and 1b - Veltman & Lange - University of Bonn. Germany These men reported on the so-called "Vinyl Chloride Disease" based upon a study of the Dynamit Nobel operation in Troisdorf, West Germany. A detailed report by these men was made available to us by MCA about & month ago and is available from my files In essence, this disease which is quite apparent in 50 workers "v in this plant is characterized by an acroosteolysis (AOL) type bone deterioration, skin changes, enlarged spleen and various types of liver disease. Similar types of symptoms were also found in a study of one PVC fabricating plant, but no angiosarcoma (AGS) was noted in the fabricating operation. Two cases of AGS were found in the Dynamit-Nobel operation: 1. 50 years old - 12 years in FVC polymerization. 2. 59 years old - 12 years in FVC polymerization. Many other employees in this same plant show symptoms of the VC disease described above but do not have AGS. 2 - L Suciv - University of Cluj. Romania 0 This man was extremely difficult to understand but his dat'a may be of value to us and it would be helpful if we could get a cony of his paper. He also described similar VC disease symptoms as reported in the previous paper but had not found any AGS. ftim* BFG24549 is) <D Oo 2- - His study indicated average plant concentration of VCM in the air as 2298 mg./m3 in 1962 and "146 mg./m* in "1966* He further indicated a 2/3 decrease in the VC disease incidence between 1962 and 1966 indicating a close response relationship. He also indicated that symptoms increase in reactor cleaners where exposure levels are high putting further credence on a close response relationship. 3 - Dr. J. L. Creech - B. P. Goodrich plant physician, Louisville, gy. Indicated that VCM, VDC and YAc are all used in the B. 7. Goodrich Louisville, Xy. plant. In addition, ACN, Bd and Styrene are used within the Louisville complex. He suggested that exposure levels decrease in the following order among workman. 1. Decreasing YOjj 3* J^Eicposure 4^ Regular employees in FVC polymerisation plant. Regular workers in other Louisville (non-FVC) chemical operations. Maintenance men in the PVC plant. Maintenance men in other chemical plant. He has run SMA-12 blood studies on 1183 Louisville workers. 26.6% had one abnormal blood test and 3*3% Dad two or more. On retesting only 6.3# continued to show abnormalities. 109# of the original abnormal group would be subjected to a battery of clinical and medical procedures of this group. 67% were found to be normal 7% were found to be highly abnormal 26# were found to be slightly abnormal 17 cases of the abnormals above showed spleen disorders and 16 were biopsied. Two of these were found to have angiosarcoma. Due to these test results, 39 employees were transferred from their PVC plant. Of the 7 AOL cases B. ? Goodrich had in 1970- 1971, only one showed abnormal liver test, which disappeared when the nan reduced his alcohol intake. In general, Creech concluded there was a greater percentage incidence of abnormal SNA-12 in non-FVC workers tfcan in PVC workers ZOO6SZCZ 4 - Dr. H. Sakabe - Japan He described the ACL incidence in Japan which is quite low. Of 1599 people examined - 2 had AOL 10 showed major finger defects 38 showed minor defects BFG24550 3- Ko AGS has been found in Japan. 5 - Dr. R. Lilia - Mount Sinai This speaker discussed Dr. Selikoff's study at the GoodyearNiagara plant. 267 current workers and 87 former workers were included. No historical records of VCM exposures were availablet but indications are that high levels were experienced in the past. a. Beyneuds phenomena was found and with greater frequency in workers with more than 10 years service. b. 6.4# showed skin changes. c. 8# indicated pain in fingers. d. Hypertension was not noted with unusual frequency. e. Urine analysis showed no abnormal patterns. f. 15# showed enlarged livers with incidence more frequent in workers with longer service. g. 3*4# showed spleen disorders not associated with servic'e time. h. Abnormal alkaline phosphatase was noted in a large percentage and was related to long service. This was found not to be related to alcohol intake but rather to VCM exposure. i. No relationship was found between abnormal liver functions and abnormal chest x-rays. However, a relationship was noted on abnormal chest x-rays and the finding of Heynauds phenomena. This speaker summarized the talk by concluding that all abnormalities are related to time of exposure - another dose-time relationship hint. Dr. P. Berk commented from the floor that he had studied a BFG reactor cleaner beginning 6 years ago. Initially a liver biopsy indicated fibrosis similar to that found in other VC workers. Uhen re-examined 2)i years later, after having been transferred from FVC service, blood tests returned to normal, liver scan was normal, but the liver fibrosis was now more severe. Dr. Miller of Mt. Sinai commented further on the Goodyear study indicating that pulmonary function (PF) .testing showed airway obstructions 'in 53# of PVC workers that correlated directly with age and smoking. Dr. Michels of the University of Louisville commented on his study of the BFG Louisville plant. Studied 413 FVC workers and 469 nonPVC workers. BFG24551 23239003 In summary -- a. SMA-12 tests shoved no differences between groups. b. The FVC group had albumin levels that others did not. Dr. Snyder of Hoffman-LaRoche discussed his carcinembryonic antigen assay in the Goodyear study. This assay was higher than normal in FVC workers and goes up with exposure time. 7 - Dr. H. Popper - Fogarty Center, Bethesda, Kd. and Dr. P. Gediek - University of Bonn. Germany Dr. Popper gave what appeared to be a vexy scholarly paper on the pathology of AGS. It was beyond the ken of this writer. Dr. Gedigk again discussed the study at Dynamit-Nobel and con cluded that the so-called VC disease appears to be reversible when the subjects are removed from the exposure. Fairchild of HIOSH commented that the human and animal lesions in AGS are histologically identical. 8 - Dr. P. Gehring - Dow Chemical Company Dr. Gehring discussed a proposed metabolic explanation of VC and its relationship to AGS. He suggests that sulfhydrol content changes in the liver reduces cystine production which renders animals more susceptible to carcinogenesis. Monochloro acetic acid and betachloro ethanol cystine (products of alkylation of VCK) were found in the urine of animals at 5000 ppm VCM exposure. A material balance of VCM was attempted in the presence of exposed animals. 6-6% of VCM was found to be retained by the animal and 2% of it was in the liver. Gehring concluded that betachloro ethanol cystine is the major metabolite of VCM. This study is ongoing and is the one being sponsored by MCA. Oster of Mt. Sinai indicated some experimental data showing that VCM binds serum albumin. Jaeger of Harvard described some interesting experiments where he has shown that the tosicity of vinylidene chloride (VDC) is reduced when VDC is mixed with VCM. 4 BFG24552 23239004 -5- A gentlemen from the state of Mass. OSHA revealed that SKA-12 run on 57 workers in a Mass, calendering plant showed a high incidence of liver abnormalities* 9 - Heath - CPC - documented the reported AGS cases B. P. Goodrich Goodyear TJCC Pirestone 7 5 1 2 (one recentlyfound) The mean age is 47.9* He indicated 0.0014 cases of AGS per 100,000 population or 25*50 cases per year and a 400-1 chance of the BPG incidence level. He went further to deal only with BPG cases. All showed abnormalities in SGOT, bilirubin, LDH and alkaline phosphatase. The mean exposure for BPG cases is 17*9 years with a range of 12-28 years. Two of the cases were abnormally high users of alcohol and one had possible exposure to arsenic (another cause of liver cancer), none had AOL, and none had ever had thorotrast administered. On open biopsy all showed portal fibrosis. Heath concluded with the suggestion, based on his study, that low levels of exposure may not be harmful. 10 - V. Gaffey - Tabershav-Cooner Gaffey reported on the final outcome of the MCA sponsored epidemiological study. This report in total is available from my files. Gaffey1s presentation was done poorly. 11 - J. g. Wagoner - EIOSH Dr. Wagoner indicated that 6 walk through surveys were made in FVC operations (Pottstown included). He had little other data of value to report. Chances are NIOSH hes published the results of these surveys that we might obtain. 12 - W. J. Nicholson - Mt. Sinai Dr. NicholsoD reported further on the Goodyear study. Of the 255 people interviewed with 10 years or more FVC service, $0$ indicated they had at least once experienced dizziness or unconsciousness indicating exposure levels of 1000 to 10,000 ppm. 23239005 BFG24553 --6** From this group 3.9 cancer deaths should he expected 9 were observed. The 3 cases of AGS found had 14, 17, and 23 years service time. HoInhere of Sweden's equivalent of OSHA revealed that 2 likely cases of AGS have been located in the only PVC plant in that country. Case 1-18 years as PVC worker showed high alkaline phosphatase Case 2 - age 61, 23 years service had a normal alkaline phosphatase Ho A0L was found in this plant. 14 - G. Volkheiner, M.D. - Berlin. Germany Dr. Volkheimer reported that when PVC (not VCM) was fed to animals, it was retained by various organs. He described the process as "persorbtion." 15 - C. Maltoni. M.D. - Bologna. Italy Maltoni again repeated his earlier work and added that after long exposure times his continuing study in rats at 50 ppm had turned up one AGS of the liver and one AGS at another site. He suggested that his other experiments indicate shortening exposure at any level reduces tumor incidence. Under questioning Maltoni felt that the exposure time of the rats in the 50 ppm until they developed AGS might he extra polated to 70-80years in man. 16 - Dr. T. Torkelson - Dow Chemical Co. Torkelson reported for IBT on the MCA exposure study. The results were known to us and are available in my files. 17 - Dr. V. K. Rowe - Dow Chemical Co. Howe reviewed VCM monitoring methods. Nothing new was presented here except his comments that expired breath analysis of men exposed to VCM might be a good method for monitoring individual exposure. Dov; has monitored since 1959 and have posted results for employees to see. In their polymerization plants they had a goal of 50 ppm VCM and 25 ppm VDC. it 23239006 BFG24554 7- Levinson, an International Union Executive, requested joint studies and actions by unions and management. His remarks vere aimed at criticism of the MCA studies done without labor sanctions# 18 -- Hr. G. Schweitzer -- SPA and Dr. Corn -- University of PittsTni-ngW Dr. Schweitzer spoke# He passed out copies of his comments which are attached# Of significance he did indicate that when setting standards one must make judgments on the risk level vs. the benefits derived and suggested that controlling VCM to zero levels involves formidable costs with only incremental improvement in risk to human life# Dr. Corn is an expert on ventilation and may be of some future value to us# He indicated that central monitoring will be unsatisfactory and that only personnel monitoring is accurate# In summary he claimed thet the engineering expertise to ventilate to very low VCM levels is available but only at a cost of tens of millions of dollars for a small plant# 20 - A# Mazzocchi - OCAV Mazzocclii indicated that this problem will be solved economically and politically rather than scientifically# He suggested that FVC fabricators be studied medically as well as FVC producing workers. 21 - E. C# Hannond - American Cancer Society Hammond of the American Cancer Society said consideration of zero risk is not appropriate to consider and suggested low exposure groups (fabricators) be studied for mortality patterns# 22 - Dr# K. A. Schneiderman - National Cancer Institute Mr# Scheiderman of NCI was critical of the new proposed MCA mice study indicating that the number to be e^osed has no statistical significance# Sir Richard Doll of the Oxford University, Oxford, England, indicated that the medical profession probably caused more angiosarcoma in men than VCK will by the administration of thorotrast several years ago# He does sot believe there is an acceptable threshold limit in humans for a chemical carcinogen, but suggested that regulations be written based on human experience not animal experience# BFG24555 23239007 8- X He concluded 'by stating that in his opinion VCM does not pose a risk to the general public HSB:dJs Attachments cc: Mr, C. J. ELeinert Mr. G. B. Lloyd Br. L. H. Ballou Mr. G. L. Wilson Mr. V. B. Connolly, Jr. Mr. H. E. Schmidt Br. P. T. Bias fi. S. BBOQKHAH 1 23239008 t BFG24556