Document 5k0a214JEQJwn846j8rJqgxbe

FILE NAME: Oil Industry and American Petroleum Institute (API) DATE: 1955-1958 DOC#: API190 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: API History of the Subcommittee on Carcinogenicity A Pi SUBCOMMITTEE CARCINOGENICITY REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS .V. * - %v~. ' '^1 1955-1960 API 06397 P v r l i c H e a l t h M o m x . kxpii \ 'n T> A Quest Into The Environmental Causes Of Cancer Of the Lung y l ' . S. DEPARTMENT of HEALTH. EDECAT IOX, vxn WELFARE P i 'B iic H ealth S e r v i c e 1 "r'-' ero.lp, n f SOot r>; carh0ri it. and in^ itors: diesfl nufacturpi^ mudgo pot kers) is an conclusion* a survey 0f on evident of the 677 oyeci for iq the major meers have * 10 years ;ised on 7g I' to reason Is of former i a different re based on ions would e existence, -h might be ding finely tar. pitch, and cutting n a tors, ei . steel k factories, as exposure tie engines, eupational arcinogenie agents con are certain ich not in inicies giv~or anthra*ily matter i the lungs, >f the lung, ally related onioses ac-sis by arorimary and hough the tensity and 7I ^~.Ions. fh'1>iuration nf the effect of the specific iiiogetuc chemicals on the lung tissues. I our civilization, and economic life has huilt around the production and use of the * .c carbonaceous substances and their deriva- ,jvei?4 it does not seem feasible to attain comlete protection against exposure to these P .nogenic chemicals with the preventive and ^phylactic engineering and sanitary measures p;a<-'noal and economical at the present time. -pbere is. however, no doubt that a great deal mains to be done in this respect and that we ^ rather far removed from having the maxinial amount of possible reduction in expo- ,ure to the respiratory eancer producing hydro carbons contained in the various carbonaceous ;|lb#tances mentioned. Carbon and Silicon Polymers Recent studies of English investigators (Henjlrv. Homer, Rose, and Walpole; Hendry, Rose, and Walpole; Haddow) have furnished 4 new and Intriguing concept as to possible combinations of carcinogens with tissue proteins through the postulated formation of cross linkages between certain types of carcinogenic chemicals and the macromolecular fibers of chromosomes. This hypothesis was evolved from evidence obtained in the study of carcino genesis by nitrogen-mustards, diepoxides, polvethyleneimines. and related compounds. In view of the fact that one of the various means bv which these substances may exert their specific action in the cells is through polymeri zation, it is assumed that polymerized epoxide chains might interreact with proteins or mucoproteins of chromosomal origin, by cross linkage with multipoint attachment, and there by cause mitotic aberrations. The initial re action of one of the epoxide groups of mono meric molecules with the cell component also mav start a process of polymerization by being followed by a self-condensation of the free epoxide groups into a polyetheneoxy-structure. These concepts are important in connection with respiratory carcinogenesis for several reasons. Since Oppenheimer and associates; Druckrey and associates; and Zollinger have shown that a parenteral implantation of various polymerized plastics (cellophane, polyethylene, poiyvinyl .iilornie. polym. ihyl metliaerylate. polyamide. Teflon, and oiIutsi into rats and mire are followed by the develop ment of sarcomas at the site of deposition, there exists the possibility that the inhalation of vapors, mists, and dusts of the monomers and polymers of these and related chemieals for occupational reasons may create a respiratory cancer hazard to man. The more immediate importance of these concepts, however, lies in their application to the production of occupational respiratory can cers by a silicon polymer, asbestos, possibly also by a carbon polymer contained in isopropyl oil (polypropylene or propyl epoxide). The probability of such an action mechanism, more over. is supported by observations of lung cancers among Japanese mustard gas manu facturers. ASBESTOS Asbestos differs from the ordinary giant molecular crystalline silicates not only in its chemical and physical properties, but also in the anatomical aspects of the pneumoconiosis produced by it. In contrast to the tridimen sional polymerized silica crystals in which no oxygen atoms are left carrying charges to attract positive ions, asbestos consists of giant fibrous molecules composed of polymerized silico-oxygen tetrahydra which are arranged in chains or bands (Parkes). Depending on the origin of asbestos, the fibrils may be short or long. Italian. South African, and Australian asbestos (amphibils) consists of fibrillar or ra diating crystals of calcium-magnesium silicate or sodium iron silicate (40 percent iron oxide). Canadian. Russian, German, and French as bestos is hydrated magnesium silicate, which contains small amounts of iron oxide (5.75 per cent). Canada furnishes about 75 percent of the world production of asbestos. Canadian asbestos, because of its long fibers, is especially suitable for textiles. Depending on its physical characteristics, asbestos finds numerous uses (textiles, filter material, building material, gaskets, insulating material, adsorbants, and so on). Some 35.000 workers in the United Sutes are exposed to asbestos dust. It is asserted that inhaled asbestos dust pro- ef the Lung hdilie Health Monograph No. 36, 1955 35 F o r Inform ation Only - Not for P ublication A ppraisal of the P otential C arcinogenic P ro p erties of A m erican Petroleum Products R eport of the P ro g re ss in the E pidem iological Studies O cto b er 1955 The K ettering L aboratory in th D epartm ent of P reventive M edicine and In d u striai H ealth College of M edicine U niversity of Cincinnati C incinnati. Ohio API 06517 ZZ990 IdY OMO tlVNNDNO UVNNDND 40 AJ&3AMf PSf'W i " T ^ : w m iw ip , '- i - .' ^MU^idsQ T jfc " Aoiyyosyi >NRii3* 3hi tS6t **r 9 * o t& a$ I w w y i a n d jfr Xpins rSotopwp|<3 'By W? sm w fjp f$ ? sl O \ Discus sion A F rom se v er a l points of view , this attempt to estim a te by ep id em io 1 logical techn iqu es the hazard of occupational cancer from exp osu re to petroleum and its fractions cannot be considered an entirely su c c essfu l venture. Only two relatively sim ple approaches were im plem ented, and ^ neither w as exp ected to do m o re than to indicate the p r e sen ce of a p o ssib le hazard. Even though the lim ited o b jectiv es w ere se le c te d , the num ber of old and current c a s e s a s s e m b le d proved far too s m a ll to p erm it d e ta ile d or elaborate analyses. Accordingly, only a few pertinent variables were examined, although as many m ore w ere of equal in te r e st and concern. On the other hand, the s im ila r itie s dem onstrated in the patterns of distribution between the U S- and the A P I c a s e s w e r e n ote w o r th y . The apparent d if f e r e n c e s could generally be explained either becau se of the age group involved or because of the g eo g r a p h ic lo ca tio n of the c a s e s . It i s unfortunate that the size of the sam ple so laboriously collected did not warrant em ploym ent of standard significance tests. The e p id e m io lo g ic a l work, how ever, w as productive of certain indirect benefits. The in terest stim ulated by this investigation of cancer among e m p lo y e e s of the o il c o m p a n ie s c a r r i e d o v e r into other a r e a s . It pointed up the need for m ore and better m ed ical supervision, coupled with adequate record s of the m ed ical and occupational h istory of each em p loyee. As a m a tte r of fa ct, in o r d e r to im p r o v e th eir r e p o r ts , s e v e r a l co m p a n ie s took ste p s during the study period to in su re that such s e r v ic e s and inform ation API 06664