Document 5q3oyQOZEKD1rnBbQzLnL3OR

FILE NAME: Union Carbide (UC) DATE: 1982 June 17 DOC#: UC104 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo - Highlights of June 11, 1982 Meeting at Niagara Falls - Chemical Treatment of Asbestos to Reduce Toxicity INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE METALS DIVISION To (Name) D ivisio n Location Mr. D. F. Kapral UCC-Metals Division Niagara F a lls , NY P.0. B O X 579 4625 R O Y A L AVE., N I A G A R A F A L L S , NEW Y O R K 14302 copy to Messrs. ucc Attendees-Messrs. R. J . Klotz W. C. Thurfc File R. E. Byrne J . L. Myers R. G. Woole B. L. Ingal Dr. Earl S. Flowers o f Flow General, lif e ., Petaluma, C a lifo rn ia , discussed the mechanisms asso d a te ^ w ith the cytafedxicity of asbestos minerals as related to his patent No. 4,328,TWJlMfiia^Wf{celle Asbestos and Treatment of Asbestos and Other S ilic a t e Minerals to Reduce Their Harmful Pro p erties." The FI ewers' treatment involves "the formation o f a metal-micelle s ilic a t e by surface reaction on asbestos with an aqueous solution o f a weak base, strong acid or strong base 4 weak acid s a lt of manganese, chromium, co b alt, iro n , copper, aluminum, or mixtures thereof. [The preferred metal s a lt 1s NH F e i S O ^ ] . " This treatmert is postu lated to reduce the hemolytic a c t iv it y (breakdown o f hemoglobin) associated with asbestos on liv in g c e lls . In theory, the formation of ferruginous bodies are created in the liv in g organism by the action o f hemolysis which results in chronic fib ro sis and the potential development for carcinoma. The Flowers' patent demonstrates a reduction o f cy to to x icity for ch ryso tile asbestos* based on biological tests with human lung macrophage c e lls . Dr. Flowers also v is ite d the King C ity plant in May and subsequently treated a sample of m ill ta ilin g s for our evaluation. Analyses requested for Mg and total iron did not show any sig n ific a n t differences from that o f untreated m ill ta ilin g s . These samples were not tested for c y to to x icity. Major topics of discussion during the meeting pertained to the following: 1. Mechanisms associated with asbestosis and carcinoma related to asbestos. The theory of hemolytic a c t iv it y by s ilic a t e minerals is generally accepted by the s c ie n t if ic community as a potential facto r in the development o f asbestos related diseases. However, aside from cytotoxic c e ll stud ies, no animal tests or epidemiolo g ic la l studies have been done. Animal tests would require 3 to 5 years and cost ^2.5 m illio n dollars according to Flowers. These tests are considered o f major import by UCC. *UCC "C a lid ria " asbestos was among several m aterials tested. UCC 004480 Mr. D. F. Kapral -2- June 17, 1982 2. Dr. Flowers' process involves surface treatment only. This was of major concern to UCC because our asbestos ta ilin g s and products contain fib e r bundles which could ultim ately be broken down due to various methods o f a t t r it io n at some point in time and thereby expose chemically untreated asbestos. No immediate solution to th is problem was s e lf evident during the course o f the meeting. Dr. Flowers did claim to have some cytotoxic data based on Waring Blender a ttrite d asbestos which he would " t r y " to obtain for us. Apparently th is information is not re a d ily a v a ila b le . 3. The present p o litic a l atmosphere regarding th is approach to d etoxification o f asbestos is somewhat cloudy. According to Dr. Flowers, principals a t EPA & NIOSH view his d etoxification process favorably. However, th e ir position appears to be of academic In te re st only. Dow Chemical Company holds patents of a sim ila r nature based on treatments with metal sulfides (present status unknown). Johns-Manville, among others, has also done some studies in this area but, they do not appear to be a c tiv e ly pursuing the subject presently. No organization to date has in i tiated any animal studies and Dr. Flowers is obviously s o lic itin g support for this purpose, apparently without success. No further meetings regarding this subject or study are planned on the part of UCC presently. I t was concluded that th is type o f process would not be applicabl for the treatment o f m ill ta ilin g s fo r both technical and economic reasons. The process may have some potential fo r asbestos products. However, the general con census was that the tenuous aspects o f the concept in general forego any active interests on the part o f Union Carbide fo r the immediate future. BLI:dac UCC 004481