Document 6kDaGbgrdM6qp9Kb61k0nr7g
FILE NAME Manville JMA DATE 1971 July
DOC JMA041
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Report - Wear and Brushing Tests of Containing Cloth Coat
MANYILLE RESEARCH
AND ENGINEERING CENTER
ee
nti
MemorandumMemoranMedmouranmdum
Date
Horm | M404-80 M404-80
July
1971
2
WEAR AND BRUSHING TESTS OF CONTAINING CLOTH COAT
Tuscany Fabrics Company of New York imported several years ago a large quantity of cloth containing 8 per cent chrysotile This material was used primarily for the manufacture of low cost coats and jackets The circumstances surrounding this situation have been outlined in previous letters Due to the wide publicity both in the newspapers and television FDA requested HEW to evaluate the potential release of fibers from these coats under accelerated wear conditions in simulated tests carrying a baby and in dry cleaning
We have cooperated with Dr. Lewis Cralley of HEW Cincinnati performing these tests and actually have duplicated the tests formed at Cincinnati Preliminary results have been reported following correspondence
in
perin the
a
i S. Speil Memo for File dated June 21 1971
bev
RE ji A. F. Burns Memo for File dated June 25 1971 x
m A. F. Burns Memo for File dated July 2 1971
4 S. Speil Memo for File dated July 7 1971
The additional results obtainetdo date do not change the conclusions
of my Memo for File of July 7. However the high fiber counts obtained
by brushing a man's jacket made of a conventional fiber blend not con-
taining asbestos but which was dry cleaned in the same clothes batch
with the containing coat may be a serious matter insofar as
FDA is concerned
In effect the fiber counts were as high when
brushing a jacket cleaned with the coat as in brushing the asbestos-
containing coat itself
This memorandum
fiber
counted
be repor
wilk summarize all data obtained to date including
pieces of the filters used in the HEW tests and
i Anysubsequent data obtained on this program will supplement supplement to this memorandum
rs
Attachment
distribution reverse side
S.
Speil
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
ee
Memorandum M404-80
Date
July 12 1971
Ae ee
Le
WEAR AND BRUSHING TESTS OF CONTAINING CLOTH COAT
Tuscany Fabrics Company of New York imported several years ago a large quantity of cloth containing 8 per cent chrysotile This material was used primarily for the manufacture of low cost coats and jackets The circumstances surrounding this situation have been outlined in previous letters Due to the wide publicity both in the newspapers and television FDA requested HEW to evaluate the potential release of fibers from these coats under accelerated wear conditions in simulated tests carrying a baby and in dry cleaning
We have cooperated with Dr. Lewis Cralley of HEW Cincinnati in
performing these tests and actually have duplicated the tests per-
formed at Cincinnati Preliminary results have been reported in the
republicaton following correspondence 1 S. Speil Memo for File dated June 21 1971
or
2
A. F. Burns Memo for File dated June 25 1971
distrbuion
3 A. F. Burns Memo for File dated July 2 1971
gen ral 4 S. Speil Memo for File dated July 7 1971
for
The additional results obtained to date do not change the conclusions
Not of my Memo for File of July 7. However the high fiber counts obtained
by brushing a man's jacket made of a conventional fiber blend not con-
taining asbestos but which was dry cleaned in the same clothes batch
with the containing coat may be a serious matter insofar as
FDA is concerned
In effect the fiber counts were as high when
CONFIDETAL brushing a jacket cleaned with the coat as in brushing the asbestoscontaining coat itself This memorandum will summarize all data obtained to date including
JM M fiber counts
counted by them
be reported as a
on pieces of the filters used in
Any subsequent data obtained on supplement to this memorandum
the HEW tests and this program will
rs Attachment distribution reverse side
S.
Speil
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
= Memorandum
M404-80
Page
2
APPENDIX
CONTAINING Fiber Count
CLOTH COAT
Summary
TESTS
Tests Performed at HEW Cincinnati
Fibers
Count by HEW
Personnel ***
Count by M
Personne **l*
Tests Performed at M REC
Fibers
WEAR TEST NO 1
republication
Background control
2 0
or
Subject personal sampler
minute average
1.8
distrbution
minute average
2.3
gen ral General area samplers
1/2 hr
Area
near
coat
3 rack
ND
rack for Area away from coat 4 ND
Not
General area samplers
1 hr
Area near coat rack
2.1
CONFIDETAL
Area away from coat rack BABY TEST NO 1 - 30 minutes
1.4
JM
Background control
ND
< 0.03 1.0 1.15
0.6 0.6
0.13
0.29 0.22
0.41 0.27
0.35 0.18
0.17
Subject personal sampler
mother
Baby breathing zone
General area samplers
Area near coat rack
Area away from coat
rack
NOTES
ND 0.9
0.5 0.5
0.6
.
0.5
0.2
0.27
5 --
0.15 0.09
1. HEW values given to nearest tenth 2 M values given to two places but reliable only to first place 3 Sampler parallel to ft wall refer to diagram attached 4 Sampler parallel to ft wall refer to diagram attached 5. Test no good sampler cap not removed
Results Results
received received
by phone
from M
from Bob Weidner report dated June
HEW
30 1971.
Hindmarch
Hindmarch
to
Speil
Speil
These counts were made on the made at HEW by HEW personnel
to M for counting at REC by
same 35 mm filter Original counts were
A small section of the filter was sent
Ed Bulava Industrial Hygienist
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
Memorandum
Page
M404-80 3
Tests Performed at HEW Cincinnati
Fibers
Tests Performed
at M REC Fibers
Count by HEW
Personnel
Count by M
Personnel
WEAR TEST NO 2
Background control avg of two samples
0.15
0.1
Subject personal sampler
minute average minute average
1.4 1.8
0.6 0.7
republicaton General 1/2 hr
area
samplers
Area near coat rack
ND
or
Area away from coat rack
ND
distrbuion General area samplers 1 hr Area near coat rack
1.1
0.9
Area away from coat rack
0.6
genral
for BABY TEST NO 2 - 30 minutes
Not
0.6
Background control
ND
Subject personal sampler
ND
CONFIDETAL Baby breathing zone General area samplers Area near coat rack
0.3 0.3
0.2 0.5
JM
Area away from coat rack
0.5
0.5
BRUSHING TEST
Background control
ND
minute test
Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at
brushing zone
2.3 11.3
12.1
6
6.4
General area samplers
Area near coat rack
Area away from coat
rack
2.3
2.4
Note
6
There is a
mislabeled
possibility that these
when sent to REC
two
filters
were
inadvertently
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
Memorandum
Page
M404-80 4
Tests Performed at
HEW Cincinnati Fibers
Tests Performed at M REC Fibers
Count by HEW
Personnel
Count by M
Personnel
BRUSHING TEST
minute test
Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at
brushing zone
3.6 10.0
1.9 2.9
2.5 5.3
General area samplers
Area near coat rack
4.5
2.9
1.6
Area away from coat rack
0.8
republicaton DRY CLEANING
or
The dry cleaning test consisted of three separate operations
distrbuion washings and one extraction with approximately four gallons of new perchlorethylene used in each operation Aliquot samples samples of the solvent were filtered after each operation with the following results
genral New solvent
0
for
Not
Solvent after first washing
1.6 x 106 fiber of solvent
New solvent after second washing
1.1 x 106 fiber of solvent
CONFIDETAL New solvent after extraction
1.1 x 106 fiber of solvent
In addition two men's sport jackets and three pairs of trousers were included in the wash batch with the containing coat A brushing test was performed on one of the jackets with the following
JM
results
BRUSHING TEST OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING JACKET
minute whisk broom test
Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at
brushing zone
General area samplers
Area near coat rack Area away from coat
rack
4.5 4.5
4.5
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
Memorandum Page
M404-80 5
Tests Performed at HEW Cincinnati
Fibers
Count by HEW
Personnel
Count by M
Personnel
Tests Performed at M REC
Fibers
BRUSHING TEST OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING JACKET
minute whisk broom test
Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at
brushing zone
4.5 5.4
5.8 8.7
5.8 7.4
General area samplers
Area near coat rack
3.6
1.9
3.1
republicaton Area away from coat rack
or
3.1
distrbuion REPETITION OF ORIGINAL TESTS ON COAT AFTER DRY CLEANING
WEAR TEST NO 1
genral
for
Subject personal sampler
minute average
0.5
Not minute average
0.7
0.8 0.55
M results
General area samplers
1 hr
CONFIDETAL Area Area
near
away
coat from
rack coat
rack
BABY TEST NO 1 - 30 minutes
0.5 0.5
JM
0.6 0.2
to be reporte
at later date
Baby breathing zone
0.5
0.3
General area samplers
Area near coat rack Area away from coat
rack
0.2 0.2
0.3 0.3
BRUSHING TEST
At HEW this was performed immediately after the baby than at the conclusion of all testing as previously was performed at conclusion of all tests
test rather
At M it
MANVILLE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING CENTER
Memorandum
Page
M404-80 6
Tests Performed at
HEW Cincinnati Fibers
Count by HEW
Personnel
Count by M
Personnel
Tests Performed at M REC
Fibers
BRUSHING TEST
minute test
Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at
brushing zone
4.5 6.8
General area sampler
republicaton Area Area
near
away
coat from
rack coat
rack
2.3
or
minute test
distrbuion Breathing zone of brusher Adjacent to coat at brushing zone
3.6 3.6
genral
General area sampler
for
Area near coat rack
1.8
Not
Area away from coat rack
2.4 7.3 4.8
1.0 48 2.9
M results
to be reported at later date
WEAR TEST NO 2
CONFIDETAL Subject personal sampler minute average minute average
1.2 1.4
JM General area samplers
1 hr
Area near coat rack
0.6
Area away from coat rack
1.0
BABY TEST NO 2 - 30 minutes
Baby breathing zone
General area samplers
Area near coat rack Area away from coat
rack
0.5
0.3 0
0.3 0.3
0.6 0.4
0.8
0.2 0.2
APPENDIX II
M404-80
Page 7
ENVIRONMENTAL 4 ^
CHAMBER FOR COAT 6 ^ FT HIGH
WEAR
TESTS
-
i ;
I
I
cos
!
J
B B
-----
4ft 4ft
a
eee i h7 e _
ul
Coat hanger Hook used ft high in
direction indicated
>
high chair
K
15 x in
R sight windows
approx ft
high
,
Sample holders for Casella A
<
-
Door
General area
samplers 1.7
minute
3.5 high pointed in direc-
tion indicated
Antechamber
on Door
>
f
No
No
No
Action
Action Action
Action
Action Action
Action
Action
Action
100,000
10
,0 10,0 100,000 10
100,000 100,000
,0
0
100,000 100,000
100,000 10,0 10,00
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000 100,000 100,000
on on Asbertos
on on on
Asbertos Asbertos
Coats Asbertos Asbertos
Asbertos Asbertos
Asbertos Asbertos
Asbertos Asbertos
Asbertos
Coats
Coats Asbertos
Asbertos
Asbertos Coats
Coats Coats Coats
;
Coats Coats Coats ;
Face Face
Face Face
Face
Face
Face
Face
Cancer
CancerCancer
Cancer Cancer
Cancer
Cancer Cancer Cancer Cancer
Cancer
CancerCancer
Threat
Threat Threat Threat Threat
Threat
Threat
Threat
Threat
Threat Threat Threat
Federal health and environmental officials have been notified that more than 100,000 women's coats contain-
ing 7.8 per cent asbestos fibers have
been marketed in this country but
since they were apprised of this silta tion on April 16 no action has been
taken to halt the manufacture and sale of the hazardous garments
A letter was sent to Mrs. Virginia Knaver Special Assistant to the Presi dent for Consumer Affairs with copies going to U. Surgeon General Jesse L. Stemfeld D. and Environmental
Protection Administration chief Wil-
lian D. Ruckelshaus by the head of
Lab tests on coat show brushing raises asbestos levels in the air to 10
000 times the normal concentration
the Department of Environmental
Medicine at the City University of
New York's Mount Sina School of
Medicine Irving J. Selikoft MD The Nation's Health queried the
Food and Drug Administration on May 25 as to what action is being taken by
the agency and was told that studies
of the situation are heing contemplated The FDA spokesman added
that the agency has no more informa-
tion on does
the
coats
than
Dr.
Selikoff
In the letters Dr. Selikoff noted
that Health hazards associated with
exposure to asbestos have become of
increasing concern especially because
of the serious causing potential The manufacture distribution and use of this product have important health unplications for workers consumers and perhaps the community at large We are calling this to your attention so that appropriate steps
may be taken to protect the public
The severe hazards of occupational
exposure to asbestos have long been
known a group of asbestos work-
ers one in ten deaths ha buon from
ashestosis ane in cancer and one in
five
ten
from lung
from meso-
thelioma Mesothelioma a cancer of the lining of the chest or abdomen is su rare in the general population that perhaps as few as one in 10,000
Asbestos Asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos
Coat
Coat
Coat
Advice : Bury Advice Advice
Advice Advice
Advice
Advice
Advice Advice Advice
Bury
Bury
Bury
Bury
!!
!! !!
continued from page 1
deaths result from it Dr. Selikoff said
Of greater relevance to the present situation are the numerous reports that low environmental exposure to asbestos may produce serious disease In recent years residents of asbestos
mining areas and people living or
working near the manufacture or use
of asbestos products have developed
mesothelioma
a
.
ry .
wes,
ao
-
iHe a ant,
ay
~ 44
Sy ys a a
ate A TAS
A
Soe
}
en oe
pee
on rt
Noe fd Oe we
iA
oe
~~ MNS
pape
SS x , 24
7
_ ye!
oe
vad
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=
bes,
Sy Aas,
5
Ww
a
. so
tS Ne
.
XO seo As a a ad
iN
wo
.
Dr. Selikoff also notified Henoch
Mendelsund a Vice President of the
International Ladies Garment Workers
Union who subsequently said that an
order has gone out to union members not to cut or sew cloth containing asbestos Mr. Mendelsund also said that the union will demand that Con-
gress ban asbestos and other dangerous substances in clothing
Current labelling laws require that
a manufacturer list the contents of a fabric if each of the constituent materials makes up five per cent of it
Consumers can protect themselves by refusing to buy products containing asbestos but in view of the fact that asbestos is dangerous in any amount Mr. Mendelsund added We are looking toward the change of that provision of the law as far as asbestos
is concerned presence indicated regardless of the amount
Asbestos particles so minute that tens of millions of them would fit on
the head of a pin settle in the lungs when inhaled and remain there They
Chrysetile Asbestos fibers found in coat magnified 20,000 times through
an electron microscope
do not dissolve They may Cause CausCaeuse lung cancer respiratory insuficiency and other major ailments Dr. hofi
stated
He went
or rubbing
on to say that brushing
a coat of this material
produced asbestos levels in the air
10,000 times the normal concentration
" would not want a w^rnanto hold a
baby against a cloth of this type be
said
He added that the asbestes was a
greater danger to workers handing
the material than to consumers we n
ing it but when esketesket what owners
of the material should cio Dr. Selko
said if you have that coat bury it
-
aere
Do
. ,
wTwen
-_7-
~-
2
SAINT LUKE'S HOSTAL HOSTAL
.
11311 DHAKER BOULEVARD BOULEVARD
:
CLEVELAND OHIO 44104
.,
.
Conta Conta
.
.
an
DIVISI^ NOF MEDICINE
.
.
.
7 216-791-1000
Ts
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Fane ee
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August 5 1971 .
ws
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Denis J.
McGrath
M.D.
a
Bureau of Product Safety
Department of Health Education and Welfare
P. Box 8208 S.W. Station
Washington D.C.
20024
;
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a.
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are
Dear Dr. McGrath
The following expresses the opinion of the group of
scientists assembled by you on July 9 1971 to consider the possible hazard the public posed by manufacture sale and use of coats containing a blend of wool synthetic and asbestos yarn thread The asbestos used was the variety known as chrysotile and comprised
% of the coat's fabric
-
It is posibple opsossibsle ible for asbestos fibers to be dislodged
Ixom this cloth by physical handling Such borne fibers could be of respirable size and thus gain access to the lungs of those
using the coals as well as those nearby With this in mind the
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health carried out
quantitative tests of release of asbestos dry cleaning and physical contact of the these coats The tests were deliberately
fiber during wear brushing skin with the fabric of designed to be many orders
of magnitude more severe in terms of applying energy to than would be expected in ordinary usage by the public
the garments For example
the coats were taken off thrown across a chair or hung and then
put on again approximately 125 times 4'x6'x8 in size Not only was more
in one energy
hour
than
in a room only
usual applied to
the coats but a build up of borne
Brushing of the coats was vigorous and minutes continousliyn each study
fibers was encouraged
carried out for two to five
Coo
.
The data obtained during these tests are available to
you
you and will not be repeated here
Under conditions far more severe
than occur in normal use the fiber concentrations were nearly
all below the threshold exposures These define
limit values currently
average concentrations
set for occupational of airborne asbestos
4
ve
* ,
* 1970 Interim TLV proposed by the ACGIH for asbestos
5 fibers greater than 5 microns jong per milliliter
A concentration of more than 5 10 may be permitted for up to
fibers not to exceed
15 minute periods cach
hour up to 5 times daily
an
7
,
. *
.
.
ra
.
peed
dewetatenese .
a
tae
eee
hoe .
. .
. s J. McGrath M.D.
'
gust , 1971
.
Je
. 7
.
*
aan
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ry
fibers in which it is anticipated that individuals can work for
"
iaany years without undue risk When we consider exposure to co-
centrations of airborne asbestos fiber as recorded by the NIOSH
tests the relatively short and intermittent periods customary
in the noxmal utilization of coats as contrasted with a working
lifetime at the TLV levels there appears to be a wide margin of
- safety The consensus of our group therefore was that this single
pisode of manufacture and sale of containing garments did
not constitute an imminent hazard as defined by the Food and Drug
to Administration and that a recommendation recover all the garments
. Krom the individual purchasers was not warranted
.
.t
i Our group does believe that this episode of using asbestos
-in garments for the general public should never be
There are strong reasons supporting this attitude
permitted again
We are aware
that there is a background of asbestos fibers of respirable size in
the ambient air to which individuals are exposed from birth to death
pations Asbestos fibers in various quantities are demonstrable in the lungs
of pearly all adults those who have worked in asbestos occu-
have many times more than those who have not been thus
;
employed In most adults therefore there is tissue pool of fibers
to which the background in the ambient air continuously contributes
While this background of fiber originates and is sustained in part from weathering of rock and soil containing asbestos it is con-
asbestos tributed to in some measure by the production manufacture and use
of
products The majority of these products make a unique
and important contribution to the safety and welfare of the public
and in this sense justify their role in contributing to a low back-
ground of ambient air asbestos fibers There is no clearcut evidence
with respectto chrysotile that retention of asbestos fiber in the
lungs of those not occupationally exposed is associated with excess
of those lung abnormalities asbestos Nevertheless it
known to does not
be related occupationally to
appear prudent to us to counten-
fiber ance an addition of asbestos fiber to the air of the public when the
product involved represents a totally inappropriate use of asbestos
one in which none of the special properties of the fiber than
contribute to the welfare of the public are utilized
the the use
general
We strongly recommend that a mechanism be developed to forbid
of asbestos yarn in garments manufactured for wear by the public Moreover to the degree that it is feasible we re-
commend removal which might be
of unsold coats and unused asbestos containing fabric used in coats of this kind from the market place
. .
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RespecS Respectfuly tefully subsubmmited itted ,. .
Cooper og wis yia 4
an
W.
Respectfully
submitted
.
submitted
submitted
submitted
submitted
wt Me
oe oo .
Re
Clark
Cooper
.
OU
submitted
:
: ~~,
See?
te
ty ee
.4 W. Clark Cooper M.D. -
, Lewis Cralley Ph.D.
"
Benjamin G. Forris M.D.
Paul Cross M.D.
. George W. Wright M.D. Chairm
JOING MANVILLE CORPORATION
EDITORIAL REQUEST
.
CALLER
.
Irene Horoshak
PUBLICATION MEDICAL WORLD NEWS
a
F
{-
PHONE
NO
DATE June 21 312 Ilidway 3- 5644
MIC
WANTED TO KNOW
She and she for
had read the story on asbestos in women's coats in THE NATION'S HEALTH wanted to do an article for MEDICAL WORLD NEWS on the problem She said had already talked to Dr. Selikoff and he recommended that she call M an industry viewpoint
DISPOSITION OF REQUEST
I gave Mrs. Horoshak basically the same information and in the same manner as
I gave to the writer from WNBC I told her about the customs battle between
the domestic textile manufacturers and the importers became involved in the situation the decision by the
the manneirn which M
Food & Drug Administration
not to rely on Dr. Selikoff's figures but to conduct tests of their own etc.
I was would
careful
not get
to point
the idea
out my that I
sources of
was giving
information in each case so that she
her M's opinions or evaluations
I further told her that M's only interest in the matter was because of the health claims being made against the coats I explained that neither the fabric nor the asbestos used in the manufacturing process were M produced ormined I told her that ll being the largest asbestos miner in the free world has
a general policy of investigating any alledged health hazards connected with asbestos even if the asbestos is not produced by us or if the product under
attack is not manufacturebdy M
She then asked if I knew anything about a charge of deceptive labeling Apparently she had learned from someone she did not say who that the Federal Trade
Commission was considering a suit against Tuscany Fabrics for not listing asbestos on the coat label a as constituent element in the garments Rifkin called me on
Wednesday to say that he had been contactebdy the FTC with the same complaint and he couldn't understand why I told Mrs. Horoshak that to the best of my
understanding the coats were all properly labeled I explained that I had been told by the FTC that any element in a coat which constitutes more than 5 per cent
of the total volume of the coat must be on the label Since the coats in question
contain around 8 per cent asbestos it should be on the label I further explained th
it was after ask him if the
reading the label that a couploef women called Dr. Selikoff to
coats were dangerous She told me that he had told her that too
which was why she was trying to find out more about the deceptive labeling charge
because it didn't seem to make much sense to her either
Because results
I had earlier in
of Dr. Cralley's
the day received from Sid Speil over the phone the first tests on the coat I did not tell Mrs. Horoshak that we
-2-
believed the results of the government testing program would show the coats to be harmless I told her instead that we would be interested in seeing the test results when they were available She did not ask me what M's position
would be if the tests proved positive
Again as with the writer from WNBC I tried to give Mrs. Horoshak the
impression without saying so directly that asbestos was being used as a
bludgeon in the battle between the domestic textile manufacturers and the importers and that the health question at least in their minds was of a
secondary nature
She told me that she was must grateful
account of the entire controversy and story that much easier
to me for giving her
that it would make the
blow
writing of her
Matthew M Swetonic
CC W. .. Raines
H M. Jackson
DDr.r.
S.
S.
Spoil Spoil
Carl Thompson -= Hill & Knowlton
Jim Callaghan -~ Hill & Knowlton
HSBESTOS HSBESTOS Coat
STORY
POLICY COMMITTEE M Environmental Health Task Force
7
Jobe
M. M.M. Ball
H. Davison M.D.
J.
E. Hesse
K. V. V. Lindell
B. Marchant
L. Pundsack
W. P. Raines
Ivan Sabourin
F. J. Solon Jr.
A. C. Smith
W. L. VanDerbeek
G. W. Wright M.D.
AIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. H. Fay
R. Power Fraser
Harold McNabb
J. A. Rishel
F. J. E. P.
Solon
Stefl
Jr.
E. W. Swain
S. D. Weaver
AIA ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
W. P. Raines
M. M. Swetonic
E. M. Fenner
L. J. Woodward
.
Carl Thompson James Callaghan
Asbestos Information Association America
201 East 42nd Street New York N. 10017
212 697-5600
June 18 1971
TO
Board of Directors AIA
and
Administrative Committee
AIA
cc
M Policy Committee Dr. S. Speil
Dr. J. Leineweber H. M. Jackson
C. L. Sheckler Sheckler
Gentlemen
Memos on the asbestos in women's coats controversy were distributed to you on May 4 and on May 27. Recent developments in this matter require yet another updating
As you recall from my May 27 memo the original plans worked out with the Federal Trade Commission FTC and the Federal
Food and Drug Administration FDA were that Manville would conduct normal wear tests for the government on the
coat obtained by M from Tuscany Fabrics Inc. the importer of the cloth The testing procedures were to be decided upon by the FDA in conjunction with Dr. Lewis Cralley of the
U. S. Public Health Service
On June 2 we learned from Dr. Cralley that the FDA was con-
cerned that the results of the tests if conducted by
Manville might be considered suspect in some circles
As a result the FDA wanted Dr. Cralley to run the tests
rather than M We were subsequently asked by the FDA to
give our coat to Dr. Cralley for testing In a telephone
conversation with officials of the FDA and the FTC on June 4
I explained that M had received its coat from Tuscany Fabrics
on the basis that M would conduct its own tests and that
as a result we felt obligated to honor this agreement and could
therefore not release our coat to the government
I offered
to contact Mr. Rifkin the President of Tuscany Fabrics for
the purpose of obtaining another coat for the government test-
ing program This was arranged and a coat placed into the hands
of the FDA by Mr. Rifkin on June 7
Sponsored by Certain Products Corp, Flintkote Co. GAF Corp , Manville
National Gypsum Co Panacon Corp. Manhattan Inc. and Woodward and operating from Hill and Knowlton Inc , Public Relations Counsel
Corp Corp.
Page 2
Present plans are that when Dr. Cralley has received the coat from the FDA M's Dr. Sidney Speil will fly to Cincinnati to observe in detail the testing procedures agreed upon by the FDA and the Public Health Service These procedures will then be duplicated for the M testing program We have a general idea of most of the tests in the government program and it appears highly unlikely that the procedures they have selected will demonstrate a significant release of respirable-
sized asbestos fibers from the coat
It is important that the government and M tests be completed as soon as possible and the results made public for the adverse publicity being generated by this controversy in growing all
the time
The June issue of THE NATION'S HEALTH a publication of the American Public Health Association an organization of 26,000 health professionals -- doctors nurses hospital administrators etc. -- of which approximately half are federal state and city employees carried a front page story and an editorial both attached on the controversy THE NATION'S HEALTH attacked the Federal Government for not acting quicker on the letters of warning sent to various Federal agencies by Dr. Selikoff in April
Newspaper stories based on THE NATION'S HEALTH article have
thus far appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES THE NEW YORK POST THE NEWARK LEDGER THE WASHINGTON POST THE WASHINGTON
SUNDAY STAR and THE DENVER POST The AP also carried the story
and if past experience with the coat controversy is any indication we can expect to receive a hundred or more clippings on the subject from around the country over the next few weeks Attached are copies of the AP story as printed in the NEWARK LEDGER and THE NEW YORK TIMES article as reprinted in
THE DENVER POST
On June 8 M was contacted by William Wilt a writer for WNBC in New York regarding a TV editorial on the coat hazard that he was preparing for showing later in the week Bill Raines talked to him over the phone and I went up to NBC to speak with him in person As a result of our discussions with Wilt the planned editorial has been postponed at least until after the government test results are available A detailed report on our contacts with Wilt is attached
Page 3
Since the women's coat controversy first burst on the asbestos-
health scene about six weeks ago it has grown into a major
problem for the industry While none of the AIA member
companies to the best
terest in this matter
of our knowledge has any financial
the fact that so innocuous a use of
in-
asbestos is being questioned will if unchecked inevitably
lead to similar health questions being raised about other uses
of the material such as perhaps in floor tile siding materials
etc. We have seen what can happen along these lines in the case
of sprayed asbestos where the possible relationship between
asbestos and disease does not strike so close to home as in the
case of these coats
Should the test results on the coats prove positive and the FDA order a recall of all those garments already sold the resultant adverse publicity could be disasterous to our informational efforts for it would in essence place the Federal government on record as accepting the proposition that even minute amounts of asbestos constitute a public health hazard
In the past six weeks we have seen more clips on the women's coats controversy than we have seen on sprayed asbestos over the past two years This leads to the very real possibility that the FDA or the FTC could be forced by public or media pressure into taking a hard stand on the coats no matter what the test results show or even before the test results are available
Unfortunately there is little more in this area that the AIA
can do until the government test results are in -- we have already established good working relationships with those people in the FTC and the FDA who are investigating the situation -
however should the American public come to accept the proposition that a certain coat in their closet is capable of giving them cancer then our job of convincing people that containing brake linings or roofing shingles are perfectly safe will become all that much harder if not impossible
Additional reports on this developing situation will be distributed as required
Very truly yours
Matt
,
Matt
Matthew M. Swentonic
Coordinator
Special Projects
ci
THE NATION'S HEALTH June 1971
American Public Health Association
Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos
AsbestosAsbestos Asbestos
Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos
Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos
Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric
Fabric
Fabric
Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric
Danger
Danger Danger DangeDarnger Danger
Danger Danger
Danger
Danger
Danger
Danger
Danger
Danger Danger
Ignored Ignored Ignored
Ignored
Ignored
Ignored Ignored
Ignored
Ignored
IgnoredIgnored
Ignored Ignored Ignored
Ignored Ignored Ignored
More than 100,000 women now own coats which contain dangerous amounts
of asbestos fibers see page ) The health hazard is clear Yet six weeks after
the Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Attairs the Surgeon General and the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency had been notified by an eminent scientist of this health hazard nothing had been done to inform the
public or stop the importation and use of the hazardous fabric
If request for a reduced import duty on
had not been made to the Customs Court and
the 7.8 per cent the denial of the
in the press this health hazard might still be undetected
asbestos fabric
request printed
The APHA urges action now to prevent future importation or manufacture of
consumer products containing asbestos public education on the dangers to those
now wearing the 100,000 manufactured coats removal from the market of
unsold garments
and
reimbursement
by
the
manufacturer
to
those
who
any have
purchasethde unsale coals
agency should prepared quickly evaluate evidence and act established Private Most importantly procedures for surveillance and cooperation cooperation between govern-
ment agencies must be
citizens should not have to act for
the government and when health hazards are discovered the appropriate federal
be
to
the