Document 7OwERkrpOxv3jzVwg0LRLY4qe

Monsanto' >|Du -.**( l o\' CIN| W. H^Lane, Texas City, TX (Ext. 2256) ^7/V; C&+tc**r JUJtCT HriliNCi TO ay 15, 1975 -* :J . W. Frizzell, w. R. Johnson R. L. Maute M. L. Owens T. J. Shuff G. L. Tromblee F. Applegath W. G. Cooper G. A. Danner/T. G. Lyons J . F. Draffen L. S. Eubanks J. E. Fox C. L. Gilmore W. G. Juhl H. Lovett C. MacFarlane L. Masten S . McMahon H. Nelson w. H. Stanton Attached is a copy of a clipping from a recent issue of C&iE News about National Cancer Institute tests that indicate that trichloroethylene induces tumors in mice. More information will be forthcoming in the near future. Meanwhile it would seem that the prudent thing to do is to check all laboratory procedures to be sure personnel are not exposed unduly to trichloroethylene, in particular to breathing of its vapors. I believe that we use trichloroethylene with dry ice for attaining and maintaining low temperatures in some labs. It is safer than dry ice-acetone from the standpoint of flammability. I do not believe that we need to discontinue this use of trichloroethylene (Fox and Gilmore concur). All chlorinated solvents need to be handled with due caution. The existing upper limit for human exposure to trichloroethylene vapors in air is 100 ppm for an 8 hr. period. When trichloroethylene is used as the cooling medium with dry ice in closed systems there would seem to be little exposure. When it is used in an open Dewar flask there is still probably little exposure as long as it is cold. However, when through using such a Dewar flask, and when the contents are allowed to warm to room temperature, exposure to trichloroethylene vapors can be minimized by placing the flask in a hood until it is to be used again. If trichloroethylene is spilled on the hands, they should be washed immediately with soap and water. If trichloroethylene is spilled on a bench top or on the floor, appropriate precautions should be used in cleaning it up (proper gas mask, rubber gloves, etc.) and to protect other people from breathing the vapors (evacuate the lab if necessary). db 5/15/75 n'dtt W. H. Lane RSV 0006743 chase and storage program, would Lake the lead in developing the new helium polity. To ensure future supplies of heli um, the report recommends that privately owned helium he used in the near term, rather than selling off present government reserves, and that the government allow privately owned helium to be stored in gov ernment fields. The report also recommends that an effort be made to obtain more precise estimates of helium resources and that periodic, comprehensive supply and demand analyses be undertaken. Current demand for helium is about 0.7 billion cu ft per year for use in welding, leak detection, cryo genics, and many aerospace opera tions. Demand for these uses is ex pected to increase slowly to about 1.4 billion cu ft annually in the year 2000. The report predicts a greatly increased demand for heli um in the next century when it will be needed as a coolant for nuclear fusion power plants, for supercon ducting energy storage systems, and for superconducting electric trans mission systems. The report esti mates that by the year 2030 these systems could need a cumulative total of between 100 billion and 180 billion cu ft of helium. But it warns that much of the known reserves could be dissipated by the year 2000, jeopardizing the development of the new energy technologies. Helium now is extracted from natural gas. About 280 billion cu ft of helium still exists in proved re coverable reserves, the report esti mates. But it says that by 1990 about 15 billion cu ft will have been used beneficially and 200 billion cu ft will have been wasted in the atmosphere. Only about 65 billion cu ft, including stored federal re serves. will remain. An additional 35 billion cu ft will remain in "probable" nondepleting reserves. Trichloroethylene is possible carcinogen Another chlorinated hydrocarbon widely used in industry--trichloro ethylene--may be in trouble. An unusual "memorandum of alert" has been issued, warning producers, users, and regulatory agencies that preliminary evaluation of National Cancer Institute tests indicates that trichloroethylene induces tumors in mice, predominantly hepatocellular carcinomas (liver cancer). NCI emphasizes that this is only an alert, representing "a state of concern." It is based on preliminary da(;i and "no definite conclusions ns to the carcinogenicity of (he sub stance may be readied until all of the data from histo;>ath<>logy ex aminations have been received and evaluated." However, Dr. Norbert Page, chief of NCI's Carcinogen Bioassay and Program Resources Branch, tells O&KN that because of wide exposure to the chemical "we feel we do have a moral obligation to get out the results on this even if final results are not yet in." PPG Industries, the largest pro ducer, questions NCI's test proce dures on two grounds. Very high dose levels were used--"the equiv alent of a man drinking a six-ounce glass of trichloroethylene every day. which of course has no relationship to actual exposures." And the mice were fed the chemical, whereas the major exposure hazard is inhalation. However, Page rebuts both criti cisms, explaining that the com pound is readily absorbed into the lungs and rapidly enters the blood stream. so that the method of ad ministration would not affect results. The U.S. produced 434 million lb of trichloroethylene in 1974. PPG and Dow Chemical moke some 70%, with Diamond Shamrock, Hooker, and Ethyl Corp. making smaller amounts. Perhaps 95% is used for vapor degreasing of metal parts in industrial metal fabricating plants. However, NCI notes, it also is used in textile mills, food extractions-- such as decaffeinating coffee-- and asan anesthetic. The five producers will meet under Manufacturing Chemists Association auspices on May 12 to discuss the situation and consider industry-sponsored research. And NCI hopes to issue a final report by the end of the month. What price toxic substances control? The controversy over the costs to the chemical industry of complying with S. 77G, the Toxic Substances Control Act. is escalating. And so are the cost estimates. Last week, in a letter to a Senate subcommit tee on the environment. Environ mental Protection Agency Admin istrator Russell E. Train said that the costs would run about $80 mil lion to $140 million per year, rather than the $45 million he quoted in testimony before the subcommittee in March. He attributes the higher figures to the "highly speculative costs associated with premarket screen- 1 i i ii T ' r* 1 Train: costs are overestimated ing and regulatory act ions." Fur ther. he points out, 10 to 20% of the $80 million to $140 million would be offset "on a national basis by the introduction of substitute products for the chemicals that are affected by regulations." Train's new estimates are spurred by a recent letter from Dow Chem ical to the subcommittee, in which the company criticizes the S45 mil lion figure, pointing out that com pliance with the act would cost the industry about S2 billion per year. However, Train says in his letter that Dow has overestimated in all areas. For instance, Dow is working on the assumption that every new chemical would have to be premar ket tested and reported. Train dis agrees. Actually, he counters, general testing at a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per chemical would be "very limited" and required of only 135 new and 180 existing chemicals per year. And more extensive test ing at a cost of S200.000 to $400,000 per chemical would be confined to only about 15 new and 20 existing chemicals per year. Train also criticizes Dow esti mates that on an industrywide basis the premarket testing provi sion would delay the marketing and production of the equivalent of about 120 new products each year. The company says that the delay costs to industry' would be about $150 million per year, and that at the time of delay, each product would represent an R&D investment of $5 million. But, according to Train, "relatively few chemicals that will be delayed (because of] test requirements will involve a $5 million R&D investment at the time required testing begins." Hence, he says, the $150 million is "considerably overestimated." - -p cm c RSV 0006744