Document 5D87o4oOOO3x3Onw9a3qgNkm4
Ths Saranac Laboratory
Study af '`-ct'-cuoni. Occuoetionel
md l^du^trui Hr? rt
Fi\jnzis by C3'i `.RJD L;v'n:$t::n Ts.V-Eal* m ,'3S?
7 Chuch St., S*t*N*c UU, Ntw Vor
I
I
EXHIBIT
K-290
3 0 Bax 56! ct
February 6, 1956
T#i#phon*; Laoori:a*r a`: O^tcta^ :<$0
at/ Burcn director o: Personnel and Industrial Relations Cvens-Corning Fibernias Corporation F.C., Box 9C1 Toledo, Ohio
Tear >ir. Burch:
Cn the occasion of their recent visit here to inspect our progress with tr.e study on the pathogenicity of fiberglas, Dr. Bishop and xr. alack mentioned to me that this research project fails under your general supervision.
To facilitate your task of explaining to lay personnel, who sight
be interested in the results of our experiments,
j
like fiberglas may be capable of doing to p^nf herewith a few prelimin
ary comments." Please do not hesitate to call for further elucidation
as need arises. 1 will do my best to inform you fully about what we
already know and will not hesitate to tell you directly where the limits
of our own and also other researches* limitations lie. You may have dif
ficulty with published statements too. Please feel free to consult me at
any time about such matters if you believe I can be of help to you.
Firstly, the following is the status of our current experimentation on fiberglas:
Product Studied
Method
Type and Number of Animals Used Stage Reached
1 Fiberglas with
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 Completed at
Calcium Sulphate filler
12 months
Chemical and Kistc logical otucies ir Progress
2u
^ ii
ii it
ii ii
**
ft it
M Rats
10 It it n it
t 11 it *1
n
Rabbits
5 It it it it
ft n ii n
4 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler
^n
nn
it n
u
11 n
nn
n
n *
Guinea pigs 10 rt ti n it
Rats
11 it
it it H
Rabbits
7 it if n It
tt n n t 11 it it *i It n `i if
(continued on page 2)
01 501 1573
The objective* of The Stronsc Laboratory, * ntm-pTe^t orfomution incorporated under the Education Lam of Nfur Tor^ Stiff, jt?
Research, ConttUtatton, and Education
Page 2
:jr. 1.'.. , Suren ionvwers-Ccrning Fiberglas Ccrporat
February
rroc-;; --*iiec
Method
Type and dumber of Animals Used Stage Reached
!77 Resin on
8 n 11
9 i n
1110
tt
11 Glass fibers only
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 9
!t Rats 11
>1
Rabbits
5
Intravenous Rabbits
5
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10
Completed at 12 months
11 11 11 <1 11 <1 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
Chemical and r.L logical Stunies Progress U It II ') -I
II t {
It l I 1
it ii it i r
12
it
it
tt
13 it it 11
14 :1 It it
n
ti
Subcutaneous
Rats Rabbits Rats
1110
n n ii
tt it -r :t -3
5 11 n n 11 w ii
i >i
5 11 #n it n n n ft n
15 Fiberglas with Calcium Sulphate filler
Inhalation
16 n it n h 11 11
It
17 it 11 it it it 11
It
Guinea pigs 60
Rats
16
Rabbits
9
Hod ifled and it ft ti n ii Terminated at 15 months
Terminated and it n it tf u Modified at 15 months
Terminated at rr it n n i 9 months
13 Fiberglae with Calcium Sul- " poate . Beryllium Phosphor
Rats
10 In progrese
tt n n it ii
19 Fiberglae -with Calcium Sul- " phate * Ri Tuberculosis
20 Reactivation of Tuberculosis " by Fiberglas
21 Control Tuberculosis only
Guinea pigs 26
Terminated at it n H it it 9 months
Guinea pigs 27 n 11 it
H ii ii ir ii
11it n 13
n tt n
n it it r n
22 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler
Inhalation
11 It 60 In progress tt It II 11 *t 15 months 28 animals
autopsisd
(continued on page 3)
01 501 1574
?15* 3_ hr, R.-. curcr.
Cvena-Ccming Fiberglas Corporation
February j , * -: c
Procuco -v-ciad
Method
Tyre and .``umber of Animals Used Stage Reached
23 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonace tiller
Inhalation
ri il il ii u if
If
25 Fiberglas (excessive con centrations}
26 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler Beryl* Liua Phosphor
M 11
Rats
21 In progress
15 months 16 animals autopsied
.Rabbits
9 In progress
15 months 1 animals
autcpsied
Guinea pigs 7 In progress 15 months
Rats
6 In progress 15 months
Chemical, ar.c .-.a logical Sv-rle; Progress rt If :>
II `I j
11 rf .
27 Fiberglas + Rl Tubercle
23 Reactivation of Tubercu losis by Fiberglas
n n
Guinea pigs 24 17 autopeied rt rt rt :|
11 If 26 18
rt rt rt i
29 Rl Tubercle Control
rt
rt rt 34 16 "
if il *i i
30 Flakeglas
Ocular
Rabbits
Instillation
2 Completed
31 H
Cutaneous contact in friction
Rabbits
2 It
32 11 33 IT 31 It 35 n
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 In progress
Rabbits
5 11
If
n Rats
8 rt
rt
Intravenous Rabbits
5 il
il
I believe the foregoing list will show you what a comprehensive range of
tests we are making to ascertain in what way and to what degree fiber*
glas or any of its components is harmful, if indeed it causes any damage
to animal tissues. Sven so, we believe several addlt-<*rnT
w^tilrf
ut i--As there has been appreciable discrepancy between the
results obtained on guinea pigs, rats and rabbits it is rrM* **`*"Hai
that we study tne efiAdlA ol tM b^Aduct on monkeys i> vsll ao that we
may tOlBU father the human species will react adversely or favorably to
tntuLaLiflB
the auwfc.t
"
01 501 1575
rebruary t, l?;c
1- i? '-"perative also that we determine now rapidly and completely
fiberglas i-it is eliminated from animal tissues and whether, if it is
exoellet after lust exposure nas stopped, this is accompanied by reversal
of loose tissue reactions we have already observed, ho doubt you will
readily perceive the medico-legal importance of such information. e'e
should also prolong the exposures for at least another year. In th* gm
nr mu- fr]ra,`
wvt1i
fr'1'* aiudlaeuautaattd that Jri-
favorable results sometimes ensued during tne tnird year of exposure while
t'HSy remained in abeyance previously*-..
-i fourth avenue yet to oe explored more satisfactorily would be a study on the capacity of the fiberglas to induce lung, cancer. There is so
much propaganda over the issue' of lung cancer today that one cannot omit tils study, either to clear the product of all potential blame or to dis cover in time whether it molds such a danger. I suppose you already know that asbestos is fairly well incriminated as a carcinogen and the asbestos causes lung damage by virtue of the lenglb of its fiber*>. a gpopertxjlt shares with the flbeg^g> Various polyester resins have already been liter lit inalled as carcinogens so that one must remain cautious,.about. the fiberglas resin until it has been-cleared.
Finally, in view of the evidence we already have that the fiberglas dust facilitates the development of tuberculosis, this study should be ff3E^anded-to'IHcl[ide the third superimposition phase of the tubercle study,
i.e., to determine whether prior exposure to the. dust will stimulate tuber culosis. Reference to the foregoing tabulation reveals that we have already instituted the investigation on the simultaneous phase and the reactivation phase. Such a large proportion of our rabbits died in the dust room that we believe the studies on them should^-Pe. repeated. Deaths may have been due to an intercurrent epizootic and r.ot due to the fiberglas dust. If a r.ew set of animals could be studied, the suspicion that the dust may have caused the deaths of the rabbits would either be verified or rebutted. Mone of the guinea pigs died spontaneously and we are inclined to believe the rabbits diad of cauaea other than the dust, but unless we can repeat this phase of the study, the record will remain unfavorable.
1 look forward to meeting you at some time in the not too distant future and hope the foregoing information will be of some value to you meanwhile.
'.'ours sincerely*
GTWHS: net
j.W.H. Scheper*, M.D., D.Se. Director
01 501 157