Document 4vbaVVy2r5wwnOw0m3N0gRowR

tVtOiioaiitO '`ROM (NAME--LOCATION -fhoni)Terry L. Leet, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, 314/694-8845 DAT SUBJECT : February 6, 1987 Indian Orchard Cohort Mortality Study m. H.F. Bonfili, MD - A3NB W.R. Gaffey - A3NK J.L. Wolfsberger - A3NL REFERENCE TO : S. Minshall - 1870 I was contacted this week by Gary Marsh's research assistant who informed me that they were analyzing the data from the Indian Orchard cohort mortality study and needed the department numbers that would designate those areas of the Indian Orchard plant that had the potential for exposure to specific chemicals, e.g. acrylonitrile, formaldehyde, styrene, and vinyl chloride. I had promised to provide Dr. Marsh with the information a few months ago, but forgot to follow-up by contacting you and asking for your assistance. The reason I need your help is that we need someone who is familiar (or knows someone who is familiar) with the history of the products that were manufactured at the Indian Orchard plant. Last fall you were able to update the occupational exposure categories (OECs) that were needed for the cohort mortality study by adding the five-digit department numbers that had been used since the early 1970's to the three-digit department numbers that were used to create the OECs originally. This new request is somewhat similar to the one from last fall. We need the same type of information (department name, department number, and time frame) but for a specific chemical that may not be unique to one OEC. I suggested in earlier correspondence that we consider acrylonitrile, formaldehyde, styrene, and vinyl chloride, since they have been debated in the medical literature as suspected human carcinogens and were used at the Indian Orchard plant. I may have been able to save you some work by compiling some information from earlier studies involving the Indian Orchard workforce that may be helpful in identifying the departments with formaldehyde and vinyl chloride exposures. A table listing the products associated with formaldehyde exposure was obtained from Dr. Marsh's PMR study of Indian Orchard employees exposed to formaldehyde, and I have added the department names and numbers as given to me by Dr. Marsh (Attachment 1). A second table contains information about departments with vinyl chloride exposure, which was compiled from my notes of the industry-wide vinyl chloride cohort mortality study that was updated a few years ago by Environmental Health Associates (Attachment 2). This table also contains the department numbers and the time frame when the departments were operating. To complete this request, will you please review the department and time frame information for formaldehyde and vinyl chloride, and develop a similar scheme for acrylonitrile and styrene? If there are other chemicals that have IN-1120 RSV0027050 been used in the plant that you would like to include in the analysis, please provide the same information. However, I need this information by February 23, 1987, if at all possible. Thanks for the helping hand and if I can offer any assistance please do not hesitate to call. Terry L. Leet RSV0027051 ATTACHMENT I RSV0027052 Table 1 Areas of the Monsanto Company, Indian Orehard Plant Associated with Formaldehyde Exposure \ Area I. Cast Phenolics pep AJd.^/ Tima Frame 0f3t6i4lOuT 193&-1945 II. Resino 0> III. Resins oSt> Resins Compounding 1939-Present 1939-1958 Molding Powder cs3 c&r 1939-1956 Other Reslmines and Unspecified^^ // /V?,' dl$f c'ltf orx; ol3) 01% 1939-Present 1946-Present IV. Formalin Plant 1948-Present V. 'Service Dept.-Waste Disposal tl3 1938-Present Materials Used Formaldehyde, Phenol, Na. Sol vents, Lactic Acid, Lead Molds Other Formaldehyde, Phenol, Methanol Xylene, Hexamethylenetetramine Lump Resins (Formaldehyde), At celerators, Dry Powders, Othci Melamine, Butanol, Formaldehy Urea, Resorcinol,.Other Formaldehyde, Methanol, Silvc Catalyst, Other Mixed RSV0027053 ATTACHMENT XI RSV0027054 Area of the Monsanto Company Indian Orchard Plant Associated with Vinyl Chloride Monomer Exposure Area Dent No/Time Frame I. Vinyl Chloride Polymerization A. Opalon (Vinyl Chloride Polymerization) 080, 088 (I9<ft-1972) 04020 (1972-1975) B. Opalon (Polymerization/Co-Polymerization) 092 (19 V?-19 75) C. Opalon Paste Resins 084 (19j#-l975) II. Tank Farm 408-1 09060 (19ft-|972) (1972-1975) III. Quality Control Laboratory - East 508-001 (19V2-1972) 08010 (1972-1975) IV.Polyvinyl Chloride Compounding ** A. Opalon Blending B. Ultron Calendered Film 081 (19^-1972) 04010 (1972-1975) jy 082, 085 (19^1-1972) 040101 (1972-197^) C. Opalon Compounds V. Ultron Color Laboratory ** 083 04010 174, 511 04010 (1972-197?) (1972-1975) SH (19H-1972) (1972-1975) Th vinyl chloride monomer. :, if any, exposure to ^ 1 1AJ.&AS W*' W VU-- W* , 'vf go*- ' WWi `5 * RSV0027055 ____________________ ___ DEPARTMENT OF MEOlCIHE 3 Monsanto Company 800 N, LiruJfcprgti Eoulsvard St. Louis, Missouri 63167 Phone: (314) 654-1000 August 15, 1883 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Ms. Deborra Samuels Environmental Health Associates, Inc. 2150 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 414 Berkeley, California 94704 Dear Deborra: Enclosed are the worksheets for the 215 Monsanto employees who were in the original vinyl chloride cohort mortality study. We have verified the accuracy of the data listed on the worksheets, have made corrections when the daLn were in error, and have updated the worksheets with information through December 31, 1980. As instructed, we have written our entries in black ink. Please note that we have separated the worksheets into three groups active, inactive, and deceased as of December 31, 19S0. Each group is sorted in numerical order by study ID- For the deceased employees, a copy of the death certificate is included if the employee died in Massachusetts, since their death certificates are considered public information. For tfto other employees, we are unable to provide you with a death certificate because we have signed a confidentiality agreement with the state in which they died. However, we have provided you with the death certificate number if it was listed on the certificate. As you know from our earlier conversations, we were unable to find any documentation for the original study, either at Monsanto's Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri or at the plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. However, the plant industrial hygienists have reconstructed the plant history for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production. According to their notes, there were five build ings used for vinyl chloride polymerization and compounding between 1946-1947 and 1975. Four of the buildings (departments 080, 084, 088, and 092 before 1972 and department 04020 after 1972) were used for polymerization and the fifth building (departments 081, 082, 083, 085 before 1972 and 04010 after 1972) dealt with PVC compounding. A color laboratory (departments 174 and 511 before 1972 and 04010 after 1972) was used to develop color samples before the PVC was dyed on a larger scale. In the opinion of the industrial hygien ists, there was very little, if any, exposure to vinyl chloride monomer in either the PVC compounding departments or the color laboratory, and employ ees who worked in these departments were not considered exposed for the purpose of this studjr. Since comparing the worksheets with the employment records from the plant, we have discovered that the PVC compounding depart ments and the color laboratory were not coded as exposed departments when the data were abstracted ten years ago. However, there may have/exposure to vinyl chloride monomer at the tank farm (department 408-1 before 1972 and - RSV0027056 t Page -2- 09060 after 1972) and in the quality control laboratory (department 508 before 1972 and 08010 after 1972), which was not considered when the study was originally designed. To distinguish between the vinyl chloride polymerization departments and the tank farm/quality control laboratory, we coded the corre sponding exposure periods in two colors - black for vinyl chloride polymeriza tion and red for the tank farm or quality conti'ol laboratory. It appears that the only other information, regarding the selection of the cohort, was the list of jobs that you had in your file. The list titled ''Jobs Involving Vinyl Chloride Monomer Exposure'' may have been used to identify originally the employees at the Springfield plant who had been exposed to vinyl chloride monomer. All of the jobs were associated with vinyl chloride monomer exposure, but were not exclusively used as job codes for the vinyl chloride departments. Actually, some of the employees were considered ex posed during a given time period because they had one of the jobs on the list although they were in a non-vinyl chloride department. For the purpose of -this study, we considered the employee as unexposed during that specific time period. For eleven employees, there were no vinyl chloride departments listed in the .employee's work history, which suggests the problem of misclassification. Of course, the key question is how many exposed employees were overlooked if the list of job codes were used as the only source of identifying vinyl chloride-exposed employees. Unfortunately. I cannot give you an estimate at this time, but may be able to provide you with more information at a later date when we receive our copy of the computerized work histories for the formaldehyde-exposed employees, which is being compiled by Westat, Inc. Upon reviewing the worksheets, you will note that I only included the job codes and not the job titles. However, you can use the list of job codes in your files to determine the job titles. In a few cases, I included the job title, which is in parenthesis following the code. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any additional information. I have enjoyed working with you on this project. Sincerely yours, Terry L. Leet Epidemiologist TLL: alw enclosures cc: W. R. Gaffey - G2WE G. A. Lemos - 1870 J. L. Wolfsberger - G2WB J. A. Yung - G2WE RSV0027057 bePT.iJo. l)-'paLlWi8K.................... .ontf .......-......... jasAr/N^y. 7^ A-nJ____ . ..... OisXx iisi m%................... 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