Document 82O5aE5eXZoLxNVV3rLZkVdbd
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1 was incorporated into products like Mr. Ignatowski
1
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Mr. McGowan talked about this briefly, but,
2 talked to you about, pipecovering and blocks and also 2 in 1938, a gentleman by the name of Dreessen did a
3 spray products and joint compounds which are some of 3 study at asbestos textile mills, and he addressed the
4 die products that the plasterers, like Mr.
4 second question or, really, what concentration of
5 Vandergucht, used in their trade.
5 asbestos dust can be tolerated without any injury to
6 Probably the most amazing thing about
6 your health.
7 asbestos was its ability to withstand tremendous heat. 7
To answer this question, Dr. Dreessen went
8 So asbestos got mined, and it got milled.
8 to asbestos textile mills, and he measured the dust
9
And what the milling process is is, once you
9 with the best process that they had available then,
10 take the rock out, there are fibers in it. And you
10 midget impingers and other items that they used to
11 crush the stone and remove the fibers from it so that 11 find out what dose of asbestos people were exposed
12 you can use the fiber part of it in products. And
12 to.
13 they incorporated it into products.
13 And the second thing that they did was, they
14 A handful of doctors back in the '30s and 14 examined the X-rays of the workers and looked for the
15 even before started to ask what I am going to refer to 15 presence or absence of disease in those workers.
16 as the first question. That is going to be, were
16 Did anybody in these textile mills get
17 miners and millers sick because of their exposure to 17 sick? Well, yes, they did. Some of these people had
18 asbestos or, more specifically, did asbestos cause the 18 asbestosis.
19 fibrosis or scarring process in the lung that you
19 When the researchers matched up the amount j
20 heard about this morning.
20 of exposure people had with the disease, they reached
21
Now, that scarring caused restriction in the
21 an interesting conclusion.
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1 lung. It made it more difficult for people to
1
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They concluded that the disease was directly
2 breathe, and you could see that on X-ray. You could 2 related to the dose, and they published this in Public
3 see the scarring. And that is really the first issue
3 Health Bulletin Number 241. It was a publication of
4 that was examined.
4 the Government and was available to everyone.
5
By the 1930s, it is true that the answer to
5
So what they did was, they recommended a
6 that question was yes. Massive, high exposures to
6 threshold level, and they said, if you keep the dust
7 pure raw asbestos caused people to get sick, to get
7 below this threshold level, you are probably not going
8 the disease asbestosis. That much of it is true.
8 to see new cases of asbestosis, because there was
9 But the story doesn't end there.
9 virtually no asbestosis in those people who did not
10 The second question is asked, and that
10 have high exposures.
11 question is, is it possible to use asbestos safely?
11
This number was mentioned to you a little
12 The reason people asked this question is 12 bit this morning. It is five million particles per
13 because people considered asbestos to be a valuable 13 cubic foot of air.
14 mineral, something that was used in products because 14
So the answer to the second question was,
15 of the high tremendous heat that it was applied to.
15 yes, we do believe that asbestos can be used safely,
16 It was around this time, the time this
16 so long as the dust levels are kept under control.
17 question was asked, that the United States Public
17
Now, this concept of a TLV or a safe dose
18 Health Service, which is an agency of the Federal
18 was not revolutionary. And it didn't apply only to
19 Government, began to do studies and provide training 19 asbestos. Really, it applies to your everyday life.
20 for certain state boards of health and other local
20
If one of you goes home tonight, and you
21 governments.
21 have a headache because you have had to listen to
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