Document 9L33Gw4MG00G1qXmmz7Vwa6pq

FILE NAME: Allied Signal Bendix (ASB) DATE: 1972 DOC#: ASB123 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Unpublished Report of Inspections by Consultant * 'S-- t_V* . *r ..*,, V .v;'7* 'r... \ V ' . - . .- . L," - - >v-y-h.^v/'ZvT^.; . . .jif.Vi*. AyfJ^r . . . - >^r'- 'i"7iiv-1VSigS& Odj&a&lS$$fy stvanson envu onmenkil consultofM^Jj^, . . t l K ^ # lfiIS j^'i cA H W M U R P H Y 18502 sivanson environmental consultants, me. 24680 Swanson R oad Southfield, M ichigan 48076 ^ 313/ 3 82-0960 ..................................... ......... .......... \ iu8 W est M adison Street C hicago. Illinois 60662 312/372-6493 ` j _ ' s ' < sfi&SL'k-iK I K w /-, - ' . '. *, ' - _ 'VC -i u . ; , HWM UR PHY 18503 V SERVING INDUSTRY IN THE MEASUREMENT, EVALUATION AND CONTROL OF: * ... Air Pollution Water Pollution Radiation Solid Wastes * Noise Occupational Safety and Health Ecological and . Environmental Impact \ HWMURPHY18504 What was once the private province oi the businessman -- that of deciding how, when and where capital will be spent -- has be come, where pollution is involved, influenced both by government regulation and public pressure, m which emotionalism has played a significant role. Industry, caught in a squeeze between prof its, capital outlay and public: responsibility, is responding, for the most part, by seek ing honest evaluation pf its environmental problems, m order to make realistic and eco nomically feasible plans for their resolution. IHF' HWMURPHY18505 i HWMURPHY18506 swcinson environm ental consultants, in c ., headquartered in two key mid western industrial areas, is dedicated to the preparation of scientifically accurate, clearly presented, confidential environ mental studies. We consider our staff to be amply qualified and ideally experienced in both govern ment and industry, ensuring not only meticulous evaluation of all types ot en vironmental problems, but also a realistic assessment of their probable economic and regulatory effects. Jon R . S w a n so n , who serves as director of s w a n so n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts , in c ., in Farmington, Michigan, received his Bachelors Degree in Mechanical and Sanitary Engineering from the Lniversity of Iowa. During his enlistment in the United States Air Force, he functioned for 3 years as base Bio-Environmental Engineer at Keesler Air Force Base in -Biloxi. Mis sissippi. later completing his Master of Science Degree in Air Pollution at the Universitv of Minnesota. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine by the University of Iowa's College of Medicine. Following 3 years in Geneva, Switzerland as an Environmental Engineering expert for the United Nations, Dr. Swanson became Chief of Environmental Projects for the consulting firm of George D. Clayton & Associates. His affiliations include memberships in the Air Pollution Control Association, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the British Occupational Hygiene Association, the Belgian Society of Industrial Physicians and En gineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. R aym ond E. Kary, who directs the Chicago office of stvanstm e n v iro n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts , in c., holds a Bachelor's Degree in Physics and Mathe matics from Jamestown College in Jamestown, North Dakota. He earned his Master of Science Degree m Radiological Flealth at the University ^of Minnesota, later receiving his Ph.D. in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine from the University of Iowa's College of Medicine. Dr. Kary spent 2y 2 years with the American Smelting & Refining Co. in Salt Lake City, Utah, working in the areas of industrial hygiene, air pollution, water pollution and toxicology. He has served most recently as supervisor of industrial hygiene, radiological health and air pollution activities for Indus trial Bio-Test Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois. He is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Public Health Association and the Health Physics Society. HWM URPHY 18509 Air Pollution sw anson en viro n m en ta l co n su lta n ts offers: STACK TESTING (source testing) Field teams are available to sample and measure pai w and the emissions: gas flows, velocities and pressures; temperature profile. efficiency of air pollution control equipment. Typical measurements include sulphur compounds, nitrogen ^ carbons, carbon monoxide, metals, organic solvent \apo y. inorganic particulates, and particle sizing. Complete emission inventories for industry are also available. A M B IE N T A IR T E S T IN G (surveys conducted in the general environs of an aiea) Surveys are conducted around single or multiple s o u r c e s " "d gauon ill disclose concentrations of gases, such as " su g ur nitrogen, hydrocarbons, vapors and dusts-- both suspended and settled. alleged fumigation has actually occurred, and 2) the economic loss, n a y, from such an occurrence. ^ COMMUNITY SURVEYS In undertaking a community survey, sw a n so n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u l t a n ts contracts^to measure and identifv community pollution levels, pmpoin Z cesT pol udom and extend consultation services on rules and re la tio n s. In a d d iln t h e community can be provided with complete, autornated rocrmanent-1vpe surveillance, as well as short-term analyses of gases, such as Sides of sulphur and nitrogen, carbon monoxides, hydrocarbons, vapots an dusts -- both suspended and settled. ENGINEERING Tn the event that existing equipment is not available for use m solving a particular^problem, s w a n s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s n l t n n t e vail prov.de consultation for the design and installation of effective devices. HWMURPHY18510 HWMURPHY18511 sivanson environm ental con su lta n ts w ill provide effluent and stream studies to identify water pollutants, and will conduct ecological studies of water bodies to define the character of the aquatic community -- reviewing the effects of chemical, biological and physical .(thermal), pollutants. .Water, quality evaluations, determining suitability for specific industrial use, are also available. . Typical samplings and measurements include: dissolved oxygen (D O ), pH (acidity), turbidity, alkalinity, nitrogen compounds, temperature, hardness, phosphates, sulfates, chlorides, biochemical oxygen demand (BO D), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and m etals........................................................................ In addition, sw anson en viro n m en ta l co n su lta n ts w ill provide identifi cation and species population determination (taxonomy) o f phytoplankton, zooplankton, necton, and benthic and littoral plants and organisms. Radiation sw anson en viro n m en ta l co n su lta n ts offers: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EVALUATION Evaluation of the environmental impact of nuclear reactors-- by studying radiation in: air {suspended and settled dust falL and ambient gamma rays): soil (native and cultured vegetation, the ecological food web or chain, and miscellaneous food products) : and water (suspended and dissolved solids, bottom sediments and organisms, and aquatic organisms). A complete evaluation involves: preparation of the required environmental impact volume for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) to the Atomic Energy Commission, encompassing: radiation, air pollution, water pollution, ; ecology, demography, geology, hydrology and meteorology. establishment of a pre-opcrational environmental monitoring program f (based on the PSAR), defining pre-existing conditions as related to: C radiation, air pollution, water pollution and ecology. V-1 ' $ preparation of the environmental impact volume for the Final Safety g Analysis Report (FSAR) to the AEC. Sv . , ft- establishment and maintenance of an operational monitoring pro U gram -- a continuation of tire pre-operational program -- to deterh mine changes in environmental conditions. T program presentation at hearings and before regulatory agencies. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Radiation monitoring generally involves low-level measurement of ambient gamma radiation, and the determination of gross alpha and beta activity, as well as specific isotopic analysis in various environmental media. RADIATION MEASUREMENT AND DECONTAMINATION Radiation measurement and decontamination services axe available for medical and industrial installations, HWMURPHY18513 \- Solid Wastes The volume of solid waste material generated today is of such proportions that the cost of its handling and disposal staggers the imagination. Archaic methods are frequently adapted to the problem, providing uneconomical and impractical stop-gap solutions, and often merely prolonging the discovery of efficient, ultimate answers. s u a n s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts will appraise your solid waste prob lem, with particular attention given to: r the effectiveness of existing systems for handling and disposal, feasibility of reclamation or recycling. ' disposal site selection, considering ecological as well as economic factors. incinerator design, with an eye to incorporation of recent engineering advances -- effectively disposing of wastes without adding to air or water pollution. Y- Noise sw an son en viro n m en ta l co n su lta n ts offers: INDUSTRIAL NOISE SURVEYS Personnel and equipment are available to assess noise through general sound surveys and octave band analyses. Typical measurements include a determination of the noise level (in decibels! being emitted from a sound source. This measurement may include an analysis of the noise to identify noise levels at specific frequencies and their exposure duration. Noise data is normally interpreted to determine compliance with state and federal regulations and to assess the risk of permanent hearing damage. HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM s u a n s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u l t a n t s will install a hearing conservation program through training, providing advice on the purchase, installation and - operation of equipment, audiometrie testing programs, evaluating employee protection, proper use and maintenance of personnel protective equipment, engineering control and proper acoustical design. CERTIFICATION TESTING Equipment and test facilities are available to certify decibel ratings of indus trial equipment according to national and industrial standards. NOISE CONTROL siva n so n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u l t a n t s will interpret noise data and recommend effective noise control measures through design, material installa tion, equipment modification and other engineering recommendations. COMMUNITY NOISE EVALUATION An increasing number of communities are enacting local noise ordinances. s w a n so n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts will measure existing community noise levels, classify according to zones, and help make regulations meaningful m light of present an d future industrial zoning and acceptable noise criteria. HWM UR PHY 18515 V Occupational Safety and Health s w a n s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts offers: INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEYS - Recent enactment of the federal occupational safety and health law brings a new dimension to the identification and control of occupational hazards. To meet this dimension, s w a n s o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts will pro vide industrial hygiene services, encompassing the measurement and evalua tion of chemical, physical and radiological hazards which may be harmful . to employees. Hygienists will sample harmful agents and test physical'factors, such as heat, light and noise. Typical surveys include: air sampling for dusts, vapors and gases. determination of the effectiveness of environmental controls (such as ventilation). determination of industrial requirements, process modifications and/or material substitution. In some cases, the proper choice and use of protective devices for personnel may be required. analysis and assessment of the effects of hazards. When necessary, equipment will be designed to solve a particular problem or situation. M\A/MI I R P H Y t S i t t R V sr Ecological and Environmental Impact sw a n so n e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s u lta n ts offers detailed, short- and long term studies of physical and chemical agents which, when transmitted through water, soil or air' impact (detrimentally or beneficially) upon the environ ment, altering the ecology- of plants and animals. Typical examples might include: p studies of the effects of heat on aquatic ecology. tracing of mercury, transmitted to plants and animals through water, soil or air. tracing of chemical compounds (such as pesticides) entering the food web or chain. Soft, *.?.c v, . '5 s m --r-'.hr-'w1 .-:,V-*W v. *?.,++' p. . s'J ' i,' - *- : t ;.'V- trim lii ' A.1-5>| ' m, ' V A 'rri*s .<V I--I\A/(\/lI I R P H Y 1 7 HWMURPHY18518 V Laboratory Services s w a n s o n e n v ir o n m e n ta l c o n s u lta n ts provides laboratory analyses of substances associated with environmental, occupational or toxicological problems: TRACE SUBSTANCE DETERMINATION Precise analysis of mercurv, cadmium, lead, silica, arsenic, beryllium, fluorides, industrial solvents, pesticides and other toxic materials, performed on: biological samples--including blood, urine and tissue. atmospheric samples--including particulates and gases. water and waste water--including bacteriological examinations. _ miscellaneous environmental samples--including soil and vegetation. RADIATION ANALYSES Low-level radiation measurements on environmental samples. COMMERCIAL PRODUCT TESTING Toxic hazard evaluations of commercial products. U\A/I\/I I I D D U V 1 Q C 1 r>.y.vc*\t~v.^~*.- ; J*=^&ftV*s*- * i S v t l l ' - ' -` - ^ SperificilyY yQU -Tatghfejfeqtiity tle ta c ^ s t m y j i y P M "***-i *;-^V'.'\iV - y' *. ~7 . ^^>'&>^ *_^ r '^^k^TvPVr-=^ the .efficiency:tof,-y;oiir^pvriem -- or" e q u ip m e n t/^JPLyy77 " Tp^'f*s-.^.,'l.x',j':llu,;tvipo-h- .;,co_ritro';`v^t-7.^-s;,.. v:>>+,--uH.i HWMURPHY18520 V- HWMURPHY18521 awanson environm ental consultants, inc. ASBESTOS STUDY FOR THE BENDIX CORPORATION I. INTRODUCTION Swanson E nvironm ental Consultants, Inc. w ere retained by The B endix C orporation F rictio n M a teria ls D iv isio n and B rake and Steering D iv isio n to m ake a study of a sb esto s exp osu res in their plants located in Troy, New York, C leveland, T en n essee, and South Bend, Indiana. The purpose of this study w as to determ ine com pliance or non com pliance in the Bendix plants cited above with a sb esto s exposure standards of the United States Departm ent of Labor O ccupational Safety and H ealth A dm inistration. The study w as designed to include the follow ing item s: a) H ealth p rob lem s asso cia ted with a sb e sto s exp osu res b) C urrent resea r ch and inform ation on a sb esto s exp osu res c) E xistin g concentrations of a sb esto s at w orkstations within the plants d) A sb e sto s handling p roced u res e) Type of a sb esto s used and changes that occur during m anufacturing p r o c e sse s including inform ation already accum ulated by The Bendix C orporation f) E x ten t of p ro b lem , if any, within The B endix C orp oration from asb esto s (detailed definition of current federal, state, and local laws) g) R ecom m endations based on field and resea rch data. F u r th e r , the study w a s d esig n ed to follow the raw a s b e s t o s m a t e r i a l en terin g the p lan ts through v a rio u s m anufacturing p r o c e s s e s to define d HWMI JRPHYIRb?? -2- any existin g health hazard and o b serve any altera tio n to the raw m a teria l. T he study w as broken into three phases; field su rveys, laboratory a n a ly se s, litera tu re re se a r c h and recom m end ations. F ield su rveys w ere conducted by D r. Jon R. Swanson of Swanson Environm ental C onsultants, Inc. during the follow ing p eriod s at indicated B endix plants; DATE OF SURVEY M arch 20-24, 1972 PLANT C leveland, T ennessee A pril 3-7, 1972 May 12, 1972 Troy, New York South Bend, Indiana P rio r to a detailed d iscu ssio n o f the study, a general d iscu ssio n of a s b e s to s and a s b e sto s a sso c ia te d health p ro b lem s appears ap p rop riate. II. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE ASBESTOS PROBLEM FACING INDUSTRY A . A sb e sto s- A sb esto s is the gen eric nam e applied to three groups o f m in era ls having a fibrous cleavage.and num erous m in eral su b -d ivision s. Two d istin ct groups of th ese m in erals are recognized due to their a v a ila b ility in nature, in d u stria l u se and r e s is ta n c e to fir e and acid: 1. Serpentine; an exam ple is ch rysotile (white asb estos). C h rysotile is a hydrated m agnesium silica te with fine fib ers having a tubular stru ctu re. The hollow tube appearance of C hrysotile under tran sm ission electron m icroscop y m ak es this m aterial readily identifiable and d iscern ible. 2. Amphibole (hornblende): exam ples are crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (yellow-brown asbestos). Crocidolite is a sodium ferric silicate while amosite is a ferrous magnesium silicate. The fib ers of crocidolite and am o site are solid and distinct from the tubular structure of chrysotile. The principal chem ical differences in these m a te r ia ls a r e shown in the H\A/MI IRPHY1RR9R -3- follov/m g table detailing bulk ch em istry data. F ib er types are rea d ily d istin gu ish ab le from each other due to d ifferen ces of the five m ajor o x id e s. TABLE NO. 1 -- ASBESTOS MINERALS BULK CHEMISTRY RANGE OXIDE CHRYSOTILE AMOSITE CROCIDOLITE S iO z 3 8 .0 -4 4 .0 4 9 .0-53.0 49. 0-53. 0 MgO 4 0 .0 -4 2 .0 1 .0 -7 .0 0 .0 -0 .3 F eOxide s 0.1-4. 0 3 4.0-44.0 30.0-40. 0 o --ii o o CaO 0. 0 0 .3 -2 .7 N azO 0. 0-trace 0. 0 4 .0 -8 .5 A lso , the m ajor su b -d ivision s of a sb e sto s m ay be further subdivided by th eir p h y sica l p ro p erties. F or exam ple, ch ry so tile is sold according to variou s gradings which include such data as fiber length, h ard n ess of of the fib er, and per cent extraneous m aterial. A m ajority of the a sb esto s en te r in g the U nited S ta tes is c h r y s o tile . A p p ro x im a tely 85 p er cen t of the w orld 's annual production com es from Canada, the Union of Soviet S o c ia list R ep u b lics, R hodesia (all ch ry so tile producing) and South A frica (producing c h r y so tile , a m o site, and cro cid o lite). Som e cro cid o lite is produced in W estern A ustralia. "World p ro d u ctio n e x c e e d s 3, 000, 000 to n s a n n u a lly w ith the U nited S ta te s u sin g a p p r o x im a te ly 1, 000, 000 ton s p er y e a r . S o m e 200, 000 tons of a sb esto s is used in the United States for products such as tex tiles, friction m aterial, paper, paints, roof coatings, and other products. The Bendix C orporation-F riction M aterials D ivision p u rch ases close to 10, 000 tons annually. This purchase includes seven types of a sb esto s H W M U R P H Y 18524 -4- (a ll ch rysotile) accord in g to 1971 data. The p ro p erties of these various a s b e sto s typ es a r e u tiliz e d to a lte r the c h a r a c te r is tic s of the end product frictio n m a teria l. A ll the a sb esto s encountered during this study w as c h r y so tile . B. H ealth co n sid era tio n s asso cia ted with a sb esto s exposure 1. H isto r ic a l- It is doubtful w hether any m in eral dust can be con sid ered as en tirely h arm less under conditions of extrem e exp osu re. H ow ever, for p ractical purposes m ineral dusts can be d ivided into two c la s s e s -a c tiv e and in ert. The m ajority of d usts encountered in industry are relatively inert such as iron dust, silic a te dusts, em ery dusts and organic dusts. Such dusts m ay ca u se rad iological pulm onary (ch est x -ra y ) shadowing from the d ep o sitio n of radio-opaque m ateria l in the lungs, but n orm ally they h ave no accom panying fib ro sis or lo ss of pulm onary function. A ctive d u sts ("fibers") such a s silic a , a sb e sto s, and bauxite fum e w ill produce disabling pulm onary d isea se when dusts ("fibers") of p rop er p article siz e , p h ysical and ch em ical p ro p o erties are inhaled in sufficient concentrations. A sb esto s fib ers* w ere recognized for their d isease potential near the turn of the century. E xposure to high concentrations of asb estos fib e r s o v e r se v e r a l y e a r s resu lted in a fibrofcic p ro lifera tio n of lung tissu re w ith accom panying clin ical conditions. This d isea se is called a s b e s to s is . C lin ically, a sb e sto sis r e su lts in a sh ortn ess of b reath , dry cough, r a le s in the later stages, raised d iastolic blood p r e ssu r e , and clubbing of the fin g ers, A chest x - ray w ill * For purposes of this study a fiber is defined as a particle >5pm with a length to width r a t i o of at le a st 3:1, HWMURPHY18525 -5- r e v e a l the d iffu se fib r o sis as a grou n d -glass appearance in the lung field s. ''A sb esto s b odies" w ere a sso c ia ted with lung tissu e of p erson s diagnosed w ith a sb e sto sis. These bodies are brow nish spindle shaped structures w hich a re bulbous on one or both ends found in lung tissu e sp ecim en s and sputum of p erso n s exposed to a sb e sto s. R ecently these "bodies" have been di scovered in a large precentage of urban d w ellers and are m ore appropriately ca lled ferrun gin ou s b o d ies. N orm ally, a "fiber" is found a s the core of a ferrunginous body. F rom the ea rly 1900'e m any d escrip tions of a sb e sto sis found their w a y into the scien tific litera tu re. H ow ever, it rem ained until 1938 for D reessen # and h is colleag u es to recom m end a standard for controllin g exp osu re. They recom m ended a tentative lim it of 5. 0 m illion p articles p er cubic foot (mppcf) as determ ined by the im pinger technique of dust sam plin g. T h is study had lim itation s such as the lack of long p erio d s of em p lo y ee a sso c ia tio n with a sb e sto s. F or exam ple, of 541 em p lo y ees studied, on ly 66 w ere em ployed over ten y ea rs. A n im al stu d ies and other environm ental ob serv a tio n s did not show any in fo rm a tio n co n tra ry to the ten tative lim it p rop osed by D ree seen and h is co llea g u es. The le v e l of 5. 0 m ppcf was thus adopted by The A m erican C o n feren ce o f G overn m en tal H y g ien ists (ACGIH) a s a T h resh old L im it V a lu e (TLV) in 1946. T h resh old L im it V a lu es a s defined by the ACGIH r e fe r to a ir-b o rn e concentrations of substan ces and rep resen t conditions under which it is b elieved that nearly a ll w ork ers m ay be repeatedly exp osed day after day without ad verse effect. T hreshold L im it V alues (TLV) a re based on the b est available inform ation from industrial exp erien ce, * D r 6 i S 5(m, W. C. , D a lla v a lle , J. M. , E d w a rd s. J .I . , M ille r , J. W. ,-and S a y e r s , R .R . A Study of A s b e s to s is in the A sb e sto s T ex tile Industry, P u b lic H ealth B ulletin No. 241, 1938. -6- from exp erim en tal human and anim al Studies, and , w hen p o ssib le, from a com bination of the th ree. The b a sis on which the valu es are established m ay differ from su bstan ce to substance; p rotection again st health im - pairm ent m ay be a guiding factor for som e, w hereas reason ab le freedom from irritation , n a r c o sis, nuisance, or other form s of str e ss m ay form the b a sis for oth ers. . The TLV for a sb esto s of 5 m ppcf w as recom m ended through 1970. The lim it w a s th en changed to 12 and la te r 5 fib e r s g r e a te r than fiv e m ic r o n s in length p er cubic c e n tim e te r of sam pled a ir {5 f ib e r s / c c >5pm *) after the ACGIH published n o tic e s of intended changes. The 5 fib er /c c lim it is based on a p rescrib ed sam pling m ethod using a fine filter and m icro sco p ic counting o f fib ers under p h ase con trast illum ination. C onversion of data obtained u s in g the im p in g e r m eth o d (m ppcf) in to fib e r c o u n t s /c c g r e a te r than 5[xm i s not reco m m en d ed . H ow ever, a co r r e la tio n b etw een 12 f ib e r s /c c and 1 2 m ppcf has been used by some investigators. The m ajor r e a so n for rev isio n of the 5 m ppcf lim it w as the mounting evidence relatin g can cer with a sb e sto sis and a sb esto s exposu re. D oll** pointed out that an e x c e s s of in cidence of b ronchogenic cancer g reater than that expected from the general m ale population w as p resen t among persons who w orked in a la r g e a s b e sto s com p lex. In the U nited S tates S elik off *** and h is co llea g u es studied 632 insulation w orkers who entered the trade b efore 1943. T h ese w orkers w ere traced through 1962 showing 45 deaths from ca n cer of the lung or pleura**** w h ereas only 6. 6 such deaths w ere * 1pm - 1 m icro n = 1 of a m e te r = 1/25, 000 of an inch. 1, 600, 000 ** Doll, R .S . M o rtality from Lung C ancer in A sb e sto s W orker s. B rit. J, Ind. M e d . , V ol . 12, p. 8 1 , 1 9 5 5 . k ' Selikoff, I. J . , C hurg , J . , and H am m o n d , E. C .,A sb e sto s E x p o s u r e and N e o p l a s i a . J . .Am. M e d . A s s o c , , V o l. 188, p, 22, 1964. **** pleu ra - o u te r lining of the lung. -7- expected. Selikoff and h is colleagu es concluded: "The r e s u lts w ith regard to carcin o m a o f the lung a r e c le a r . Industrial exposure to a sb esto s by insulation w ork ers, as studied h ere, r e s u lts in the in cid en ce of can cer of the lung, ap p roxim ately s ix to s e v e n tim e s the e x p e c te d in c i d e n c e ." .......... S elikoff and h is colleagu es a lso noted that th ree of the p leu ral tum ors w ere m eso th elio m a s and com m ented on this as an exceed in gly high incidence for this type of rare tum or. In a subsequent study S elikoff and h is colleagu es* d escrib ed a rela tio n betw een exp osu re to a sb e sto s and m eso th elio m a after the study of 307 con secu tive deaths am ong a sb esto s in sulation w ork ers. They concluded: "It ap p ears that m eso th elio m a m u st be added to the n eo p la stic r isk s of a sb e sto s inhalation, and jo in s lung cancer ( 53 of 307 deaths) and probably can cer of the stom ach and colon {34 of 307 deaths) as a significant com plication of such industrial exposure in the United States, " N eop lasm s, such as m esoth eliom a, w ere reported in the United States as occu rrin g without x -r a y evidence of a sb e sto sis and at low e x posure le v e ls. The B ritish questioned this evidence in a 1967 m em orandum from the M inistry of L abor-Senior M edical Inspector. H ow ever, in 1968 the B ritish O ccupational H ygiene S ociety published their "Hygenic Standards for C hrysotile A sb esto s D ust** which stated: "It is probable that the r isk of being a ffected to the exten t of having such early clin ica l signs w ill be le s s than 1 percent for an accum ulated exp osu re of 100 fib er y e a r s per c m 3 (cc) or 2 fib e r s /c m 3 for 50 y ea rs, 4 fib e r s/c n i for 25 y ears or 10 f ib e r s /c m ^ for 10 y e a r s ." * S elik off, I. J. , Churg, J. , and H am m ond, E. C. , R ela tio n B etw een E xp osure to A sb e sto s and M eso th elio m a . New E ng. J. Of M ed ., V ol, 212, p. 560, 1965, ** H ygiene Standard for C hrysotile A sb estos Dust. A m er. Occup. Hyg. , V ol. 11, pp 47 -49, 1968. ; ) X'- ' ) ) ) ) \ ) ) -o- Thus, in e ffe c t the B r itish O ccupational H ygiene S ociety recom m end a " T L y of 2 fib ers/cc> 5 p m as determ ined with the standard m em brane filter technique. ' Many in vestigators com pleted or com m enced studies on asb estos and o c c u p a tio n a l h e a lth d u rin g the la te 1960,:s to d a te. The q u estio n of a sb esto s exposure and cancer brought out m any scien tific and em otional r e sp o n se s from a ll quarters; industry, governm ent, and academ e. Many fa cto rs influencing the b iological effects of a sb esto s are being d iscu ssed and studied. F a cto rs such as: a) F ib e r leng'th b) A sso c ia tio n betw een a sb e sto s fib ers contam inated with cancer producing hydrocarbons c) T ra ce m e ta ls found in a sb e sto s after grinding and m illin g and others are currently under scien tific scrutiny. 2. C urrent -H ow ever, for industry the above d eliberations are som ew hat a ca d em ic due to the regu latory pow er provided with the en a ct m ent of the W illia m s-S teig er O ccupational Safety and Health A ct of 1970 w hich provided for the publication of an em erg en cy tem porary standard con cernin g a sb e sto s exp osu re. Such a standard w as published under the p r o v is io n s o f the law in the F e d e r a l R e g is te r on D ecem b er 7, 1971 a s follow s: 1 9 10.93a A sb e sto s d u s t- (a) 8-hour time-weighted av e ra g e The 8-hour time-weighted average airborne concentration of a s b e s to s dust to which em ployees a r e exposed shall not exceed 5 fibers longer than 5 m icrons per milliliter, as d e term in ed by the m em brane filter method at 400-450 X (m ag nificatio n ) (4 m i l l i m e t e r objective) p h a s e c o n tra st i l l u m i n a tion. C o n cen tratio n s above 5 fib e rs p er m illiliter but not to e x c e e d 10 f i b e r s p e r m i l l i l i t e r m a y be p e r m i t t e d up to a t o t a l of 15 m i n u t e s in a n h o u r , but f o r not m o r e tha n 5 h o u r s in an 8-hour day. -v- This em ergency standard for asb estos dust exposure w as further clarified in the F ed era l R eg ister of January 12, 1972. A fter con sid eration of the em erg en cy standard and a ll com m en ts p e r taining to such a standard, the United States D epartm ent of Labor, O ccu p ation al S a fety and H ealth A d m in istration (OSHA) p u blish ed under the OSHA a ct a Standard for E xp osure to A sb esto s D ust in the F ed er a l R eg ister of June 7, 1972. The standard lim its in d u strial exposure to air-b orn e concentrations of a sb estos a s follows: 1910.93a A sb estos (a) D efin itio n s. F or the purpose of this section , (1) "A sbestos" includes chrysotile, am osite, crocidolite, trem olite, anthop h yllite, and actinolite. (2) " A sb estos fibers" m eans a sb esto s fib ers longer than 5 m icrom eters. (b) P e r m is s ib le ex p osu re to airborne con cen tration s of a sb e sto s f ib e r s - f l} Standard e ffe c tiv e Ju ly 7, 1972. The 8-h ou r tim e w eigh ted a v era g e airb orn e con cen tration s of a sb e sto s fib e r s to w hich any em ployee may be exposed shall not exceed five fib ers, longer than 5 m icro m eters, per cubic centim eter of air, as d eterm ined by the m ethod p rescrib ed in paragraph (e) of this se c tio n . (2) S tan dard e f f e c t iv e July 1, 1976. The 8-h o u r tim e -w e ig h te d a v e r a g e a ir b o r n e co n c e n tr a tio n s of a s b e s to s f ib e r s to w h ich any em p loyee m ay be exposed shall not exceed two fib ers, longer than 5 m icro m eters, per cubic centim eter of air, as determ ined by the m ethod p rescrib e d in paragraph (e) o f th is section.. (3) C eilin g concentration. No em ployee shall be exposed at any tim e to a ir b o r n e co n cen tra tio n s o f a s b e s t o s f ib e r s in e x c e s s o f 10 fib ers, longer than 5 m icro m eters per cubic cen tim eter of air, a s d eterm ined by the m ethod p rescrib ed in paragraph (e) of this se c tio n . The tim e-w eig h ted average concentration described in this standard refers to a m ethod for adjusting to the fact that em p lo y ees a re exposed to varia b le concentrations throughout their work day. The eight-hour tim e-w eighted a v era g e (TWA) m a y be d eterm in ed a s follow s: (H ours x concentration task A) + (Hours x concentration task B)+ etc. 8 In effect, to obtain the eight hour TWA, sampling m u s t be conducted during the entire eight-hour work period, -10- ) T h e n ew standard d o e s c a ll fo r a c e ilin g lim it o f 10 f i b e r s / c c >5(j,m w hich is not be be exceeded at any tim e. III. ASBESTOS STUDY ) A . Introduction The following plants w ere visited by Dr. Jon R. Swanson o f Swanson Environm ental Consultants, Inc. : (a) T roy, New Y ork (b) C lev ela n d , T e n n e s s e e (c) South Bend, Indiana ) T he purpose of th ese v is its w as to obtain air sa m p les to d eterm ine a sb e sto s con cen trations throughout the plants and to m ake ob servation s of dust gen eration so u rces , plant operating p roced u res, and existin g a ir con trol sy stem s for correlation with air sam ple r e su lts. Sam ples w ere taken in an id en tical m anner by Dr. Jon R. Swanson in a ll plants. M r, D . Stone, M r. A. St.John, and M r. R. B lair a ssiste d in the field work ) a t T roy, New York. M r. J. R iop elle and M r. H. Sm ith a ssiste d in the field work at C leveland, T en n essee. M r. S. Baum gartner, M r. O. Sliter, and M r. B. H oye a s sis te d in the South Bend, Indiana plant. This sectio n contains data on sam pling p roced u res, laboratory p rocedures, airborne ) a sb e sto s concen trations, and sou rces of dust generation. B. Sam pling P rocedures A sb e sto s sam p les w ere collected in each plant using the standard .) m em b ran e filte r technique used by OSHA and other in d u strial hygiene gro u p s. T his technique in volves drawing air through a 0. 8 m icro m eter p ore siz e m em b ran e filter held in an open face c a s s e tte at a rate of 1. 0 l i t e r s p er m in u te (1pm) up to 2 .5 1pm. A ll sa m p le s w ere c o lle c te d in t h is study at a ra te o f 2. 0 1pm u sin g a "constant" flow B en d ix 115 A pump. -11- A ll pum ps w ere calib rated with the 37m m m em brane filter in -lin e prior to field u se. C alibration w as accom plished using a w e t-te st m eter in the laboratory and 1 .0 lite r burette in the field . T his type of p erson al air sam pling pump m aintained flow rates v ery reliab ly. Sam ples w ere co llected in the w o rk er's breathing zone by placing the pump on the w orker and attaching the filter c a sse tte over the shoulder near chin lev el. The ca ssette cap w as rem oved leaving 855 mm^ of surface area exposed for sam pling. Sam ples w ere taken for a short duration of several m inutes up to sev e r a l h ou rs. A t the con clusion of sam pling the cap w as im m ed iately replaced , and the filter ca ssette w as sealed and m arked. A lso a large p ercen ta g e o f sa m p le s w ere co llected in g en era l a r e a s of p lan ts so a s to ch aracterize area a sb esto s fiber concentrations. Data sh eets w ere co m p leted in the field and lab oratory. O b servations w ere m ade during a ll sam pling p eriod s. L aboratory counting w as com pleted by D r, Jon R. Swanson and M iss. C. T ozer of Swanson E nvironm ental C onsultants, Inc. Scanning electron m icro sco p y w as perform ed by M r. David H orow itz. O ptical m icroscop y w as com pleted according to the standard technique p rescrib ed by the F ed eral R egister at 400 X m agnification under phase contrast illum ination. A Nikon m od el STR-K E m icro sco p e equipped with a DLL 40X phase ob jective w as used for fiber counting. S izes >5pm w ere determ ined using a c a li brated Porton r e tic le . D etailed m ethods a s outlined by the N ational In sti tute for O ccu p ation al S afety and H ealth (NIOSH) and the A sb e s to s T ex tile In stitu te w ere follow ed for the counting p ro ced u re. F ie ld counting w as accom p lish ed on a lim ited num ber of sam p les at Troy, New York and Cleveland, T en n essee. Scanning electron microscopy was conducted on an Etec Scanning E lectron M icro sco p e. High resolu tion of the filter su rfaces w as available . I i\A/n/ii m m i\ /^ o r 12- u sin g th is technique a s can be seen in the appended electro n p h otom icro- graphs. G. R esults !? T r o y , N ew Y ork The resu lts of a ir sam pling conducted during the period of A p ril 3 -7 , 1972 a r e su m m arized in F igu re N um ber 1. The appendix contains field data obtained during the study. E lectron photom icrographs are also appended. R eferrin g to F ig u re N um ber 1, it m ay be seen that six ty eight sam p les w ere collected throughout Plant Two and Plant Four. A s b e s to s fib er c o n c en tra tio n s ranged from a low o f 0 .2 f ib e r s /c c to a high o f 238. 9 f ib e r s /c c . The 0. 2 le v e l w as found in the Industrial R elation s office w hile the 238. 9 le v e l w as p resen t in the recla im room during operation o f the rec la im m ach in ery. Y ery.high air-b orn e concentrations of a sb esto s ' fib ers w ere found in the follow ing areas: a) D ry M ix P r e ss e s (Plant 2) b) D is k P a d P r e s s (P la n t 4) c) In sp ection Line (Plant 4) d) R e c la im R oom (P lant 2) T h ese very high concentrations are from either p erson al sam ples or sam ples taken in c lo s e p r o x im ity to the p a rticu la r op eratin g m ach in e. S am p les taken in g en era l a r e a s throughout P la n ts 2 and 4 ranged from 0. 2 fib e r s /c c to 12.5 f ib e r s /c c . R e fe r r in g to F ig u r e N um ber 1, the m a jo r ity o f g e n e r a l a rea fib er co n cen tra tio n s can be seen to cen ter around 2 fib e r s /c c w ith a range from 0 .2 f ib e r s /c c to 4. 2 f ib e r s /c c . IDnUV'l oroo -13- 2. C leveland,T ennessee The r e su lts from air sam pling conducted during the period o f M arch 2 0-24, 1972 are sum m arized in F igure Num ber 2. The appendix contains field data obtained during the study. E lectron photom icrographs of rep resen tative sam ples from the C leveland plant are a lso appended. R eferrin g to F ig u re N um ber 2, it m a y be seen that tw en ty - three sam p les w ere counted for fib ers. Several sam ples w ere not counted due to h eavy d u st load in gs on the f ilt e r s . A sb e s to s fib e r co n cen tra tio n s ranged from 0. 6 fib e r s /c c to 18. 1 fib e r s /c c . High con cen trations w ere found in the d ry m ix p r e ss briquetting operation and the d isk pad p r e s s operation. H ow ever, these operations also showed concentrations below 5 fib e r s /c c . G eneral area sam ples throughout the plant ranged from 0. 6 fib e r s /c c to 9. 0 f ib e r s /c c . The m ajority of sam p les show g en era l a ir - f borne a sb esto s con cen trations to be below 5 fib e r s /c c , 3. South Bend, Indiana The r e s u lts from air sam p les co llected on May 12, 1972 are sum m arized in F igure Number 3. The appendix contains field data obtained during the study. A lso appended are electron photom icrographs of rep resen ta tiv e sam p les from the South Bend plant. R e fe r r in g to F ig u r e N um ber 3, it m ay be seen that six te e n sam p les w ere co llected during the eight hour working period of the fir s t shift on May 12, 1972. A sb estos fiber concentrations ranged from 0 .0 f i b e r s / c c to 2. 8 f i b e r s / c c . W ith the ex ce p tio n o f the 2. 8 f ib e r s / c c co u n t, a ll s a m p le s w e r e b elo w 1. 0 f i b e r s / c c . A rea s a m p le s c e n te r e d around 0. 5 fib e r s/c c . ) i i\ a /i\ ri m m w / a. OO WORK AREA ) 17.7 15 14 13 12 11 10 18. 1 ! FIGURE NO. 2 MEASURED ASBESTOS FIBER LEVELS ;FRICTION M ATERIALS DIVISION i THE BENDIX CORPORATION ! CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE .(.CEILING) ASBESTOS -FIBER S/C C ~T if> m rti <t t-, o6 (ti <U A C C' o t XCIti : b> o < t O. CH rM -to Do4--> . Mtr--< CulJ o t t 00 Q O u uDi. t iti C 1) O if) O WORK AREA (TLV) .1:976 {TLV) . I__ \ A /rv /! i i n n u x / ' i o r o r ' ) 15 1 4 __ 13. 1 11 10 8 8 U) 0i W m--i hii w O F m W PQ t/5 < ; . 1 i -- 4- -I---------^----- ~L -- j__ --j i 1 FIGURE NO. 3 M EA SUR ED A SB ESTO S FIB E R LEV ELS.. ___(CEILING) i I BRAKE & STEERING DIVISION THE BENDIX CORPORATION ^ , , 1 SOUTH R E N n INfiTAMA ; i <TLV) oL rH J' I I n0j u 3 <U) ti W) rO> > -- i c h H ->1o-1 c a aui cq J- 0<A 0 UV 0 Uff) O Q c U WORK REA 1976 (TLV) U\A/I\/II i n n i J\/-i n r o - 7 D. Discussion of Results 1. Troy, New York F ig u re N um ber 1 p rovid es a fa ir ly com plete graph of the problem a r e a s w hile at the sam e tim e showing the gen eral plant fiber c o n c e n tr a tio n s to be w ith in the 5 f i b e r s / c c lim it w ith a few e x c e p tio n s . It should be pointed out that only a few operations are resp on sib le for high fiber con cen trations. F urther, the operating p erso n n el w ear resp ira to ry p ro tective equipm ent and are not inhaling the high fiber concentrations. These few o p e r a tio n s a r e a ls o con tam in atin g o th er a r e a s of the p la n ts due to ex istin g air cu rren ts and bad housekeeping p ra ctic es. The dry m ix p r e ss operation in Plant 2 is the m ajor source of a ir-b orn e a sb e sto s fib e r s. This area is a lso heated due to the influence o f the curing p r e s s e s . During the study the heated a ir currents laden with a sb esto s fib ers could be observed from a vantage point down the a isle . The in flu en ce o f th is s o u r c e is ev id e n t in S a m p le s #10, 1, 3, 61, 8, 11, and 12 w hich w ere co llected down the a isle away from the p r e ss area in r esp ectiv e ord er. F ig u re N um ber 4 p resen ts data on sam ple p osition s at the T roy plants. SAMPLE # CONCENTRATION (Fiber s/ cc>5pm) 10 10. 6 1 8. 4 3 7. 8 61 12. 5 8 5. 5 11 1.9 12 1.9 P l a t e If 3 p r o v i d e s a v i s u a l d e s c r i p t i o n of the bulk d r y m i x m a t e r i a l p r i o r to p r e s s in g . P la te #11 and P late #12 show the m a t e r i a l under high and .V H\A/MI IRPMVIRRRR PLANT 4 / <P TJ* O' OJ p r o 10 A /X , 46 45 44' 6 > 1M/Y 1Q U li ;.P '( ,-! 54 . 17 FIGURE NO. 4 SAMPLE POSITIONS TROY, NEW YORK 20 I U\A/I\/II I D D U V - I O C i n - 15- m edium m agnification filtered out of the p ress op erator's breathing zone. High fiber concentrations in this area can be attributed to the follow ing: ,) a) handling and transfer of the bulk m a teria l to the m oulds using the tote box, bucket, and u n d er-o v er w eighing s y ste m . ' b) d isp la cem en t of air as the p r e s s en gages ) c) air m ovem ent on the p r e s s e s d) e x c e s s m a teria l handling p r a c tic e s of em p lo y ees e) sp illage and cleanup ) f) ree n tra in m en t o f dried m a te r ia l on the flo o r w hich is stir r e d up by w ork op eration s and ca rried aloft due to a ir cu rren ts in the area. { T his situation could be w orse in the sum m er if coolin g fans are perm itted in this area) The r e s u lts of sam pling in th is a rea show a need for com p lete rev iew to elim in ate fiber generation sou rces which are contam inating the dry m ix > p r e s s area and other areas of Plant 2. A sim ila r situation ex ists in Plant 4 at the disk pad p r e s s e s . S a m p le s su rro u n d in g th is o p era tio n show it to be an e f f e c t iv e so u r c e of > contam ination for other nearby a rea s in Plant 4. P erm anently mounted circulating fans overhead are circulating asb estos fib ers carried aloft. The d isk pad o p era tio n is contributing to high a s b e s to s fib er co n cen tra tio n s through the follow ing: a) handling and tran sfer of bulk m aterials b) w eighing p r o c e ss and p r e s s operating sequence i c) e x c e s s bulk m aterial handling p r a c tic e s of em p lo y ees d) sp illa g e and cleanup e) handling of disk pads after pressing } f) reen train m en t of spilled and dried m a teria l into the air due to truck traffic and the movement of personnel ) U\A/I\/1I I D D U V - I O C / i n -16- g) overhead circulating fans h) handling and sp illa g e of bulk m a te r ia l from the new vacuum m a terial handling sy stem s. The m ajority of air-b orn e asb estos fib ers in the disk pad area can be attributed to handling, sp illa g e, and a drying tim e with subsequent reen train m en t of fib ers into the a ir . The high a sb e sto s fib er concentrations point out the need for a com plete rev iew of the bulk m a te r ia l flow through the disk pad operation elim inating all a sb esto s fiber generating sou rces. The dry m ix room s and w et m ix room s show a few elevated a sb esto s fib er con cen tration s. The sou rce of these fib ers is sim ila r in a ll the m ix a r e a s and can be d iscu ssed together. Spillage bag handling and poor h ou sekeep in g account for a m ajority of the contam ination. Any spillage of the raw a sb esto s leaves large clum ps of this raw m aterial desposited on the m ix er, blender, floor, m otor, and other su rfaces. T h e se c lu m p s m a y be v is u a liz e d in P la te 1. A s th is m a t e r ia l i s s tir r e d up or blown about due to the op eration of blending and m ix in g equipm ent, the clum ps b reak down into sm aller groups of fib ers. T hese m ay be visu alized in P la te 2. L iterally, a sm all sp ill of raw a sb esto s m ay lead to m illio n s of fib e r s becom in g a ir -b o rn e. This p r o c e ss w as evident on the "Littleford" m ix e r s w here a sm a ll amount of sp illed a sb esto s on the upper ch a rg e flo o r w ould w ork its w ay down to the m o to rs and su b seq u en tly be blown lik e snow throughout the m ix room from the op eration of the m otor. Bag handling p ra ctic es in a ll m ix a rea s allowed the sp illage and generation of a s b e sto s fib e r s . P u lsa tin g dam per bags on the L ittlefo rd m ix e r s in P lant 4 contributed to the gen erations of a sb e sto s fib ers. following item s: a) A sb e s to s T ypical m ixes include the u \a /i\/ii i D n u v d o c / i d -17- b) R esin (wet or dry) c) F riction Dust d) Ground Rubber - e) M etal Chips or Dust f) Coke Flour g) G rit h) Alum ina i) etc. A sb e sto s is the p rin cip al ingredient, and thus, it appears that a better sy ste m for transporting a sb esto s to the m ixer or blender charge openings could be d ev ised . A ll sp illa g e could perhaps be elim in ated during charging. A fter m ixin g and blending the m ix ap p ears to gen erate very little dust u n til it is handled again at the p r e s s e s . R esin m ay tend to hold the a s b e s to s . T h is could be d etrim e n ta l a s far m o re r e s in dust is r e le a s e d during pro-r duction operations, and depending on p a rticle siz e , the resin could offer b etter p enetration of a sb esto s fib ers into the lung by acting as a c a r r ie r . Som e ev id en ce of th is m ay be ob served in P la te 4 and P late 9. Insp ection o ffers the w orst exp osu re condition a s high a sb esto s fiber con cen tration s w ere found on the in sp ection lin es w here no resp ira tory p rotective d ev ices are worn. Further, the in sp ectors are virtually trapped in th eir own "dust cloud" a s the job c a lls for little m ovem ent or change of w o r k p o s itio n . P la t e s 13 thru 15 p ro v id e v is u a l ev id e n c e a s to the a s b e s to s fib er hazard p resen ted to in sp ecto rs. The dust generated at this w ork station is dependent on the clea n lin ess of finished product arrivin g from the grinding d ep artm en t. T h is, in turn, m ay be dependent on the type of product being handled as som e types of linings appeared m ore dusty than oth ers. The p ro d u ct at th is sta g e h a s b een su b jected to high te m p e r a tu r e s in cu rin g and H\A/MI IR P H Y 1 RRd'? r ) -18- ' grind in g. T h is ap p ea rs to ca u se the form ation of co n g lo m era tes of a sb e sto s fib e r s and can be seen in P la te s 13, 14, and 15. A very high m a g n ific a tio n o f su ch a c o n g lo m e r a te m a y be s e e n in P la te 6. It a p p e a r s that a very high num ber of a sb esto s fib ers could be inhaled if these co n g lo m e r a te s w e r e o f sm a ll enough p a rticle s iz e . T h ere ap p ears to be a g rea t need fo r clean in g lo o se dust from the products p rior to in sp ection . T his inform ation appears conclusive that an a sb esto s fiber hazard is associated w ith the end product. The u ltra -h ig h concentration found in the recla im room req u ires the w earing of resp ira to ry equipm ent at a ll tim es of operation. This operation m u st be rev iew ed c lo se ly elim inating a ll dust leakage points. Grinding and saw ing op era tio n s showed som e high con cen trations. T hese appear to be rela ted to con tam in ation fro m other a r e a s, c a r r y -o v e r of the bulk m a te r ia l product, and in efficien t local exhaust system s; The exhausts w ere not checked during th is stu d y. The high figu re (19. 8) obtained at the bin d in g a r e a is not a valid sam p le .as th is filter w as dropped and contam inated. 2 . Cleveland, T ennessee In a sen se the r e su lts obtained at C leveland c lo se ly resem b le the T roy r e s u lt s but in a sca led down m anner w ith one notable excep tion . The C leveland plant is far superior in housekeeping p ra ctices. The dry m ix p r e s s o p e r a t o r 's breathing zone concentrations r a n g e d f r o m 2. 8 f i b e r s / c c to 17. 7 f i b e r s / c c . O n the b a s i s of this s am p l in g a t i m e - w e i g h t e d a v e r a g e would c e n t e r b e t w e e n 5 and 10 f i b e r s / c c . The v a ria n c e is due to individual operating p ractices, neatness, and the type of m ix in production. An excellent sampling (#116) was taken four feet away from the o p eratio n covering the general a r e a of the d ry m ix p r e s s over a long time period (78 minutes). The level in this area was 2,2 fibers/cc. During the sam pling of this operation, it w as d iscovered that large clum ps of dry m ix w e r e contam inating the filte r su rface when sam pling one operator who had a tendency to p h y sica lly "scatter" clum ps of the dry m ix m a teria l into h is breathing zone. Further, a large amount of dry m ix m aterial was collected by e lectro sta tic deposition on the inner ca ssette p la stic su rface. This phenom enon w as a lso ob served to deposit a ring of dry m ix m a teria l on the filte r su rface after sam pling. Sam ples w ere thus carefu lly counted in the field to m in im ize these effects. T hese field counts showed a m axim um fiber concentration for this operation at 5;4 fib e r s /c c . Thus, it is believed that the higher concentrations observed at this operation m ay not be com pletely rep resen tative of actual air-b orn e asb estos fiber concentrations. A lso, during counting it w as ob served that som e of the r e sin m a teria l could be m ista k en a s fib e r s. P la te 10 show s som e r e sin (darker m a teria l) m fibrous shapes. Thus, counting err o rs at this operation could be introduced due to the nature of the re sin -a sb e sto s m ix. Again, it should be pointed out out that resp ira to r y p rotective equipm ent is w orn by the op erators in th is area. A ir-borne contamination at these dry m ix p re s s e s appeared to come from the follow ing sou rces: a) M aterial handling, weighing, and excess discard b) Spillage and subsequent drying and reentrainm ent c) Air d isp lacem en t during the p r e ss cycle a s the p ress plate en ters the m ould d) F in ish ed product stacking and handling at this w ork p osition e) Cleanup T he m ajor so u rce of a ir -b o r n e a s b e sto s fib e r s is sp illa g e and m a te r ia l handling, U\A/i\/n m n n v ^ n r i -.U - The other area w here high concentrations w ere observed was from the d isk pad p r e s s . T h ese p r e s s e s are id en tica l to th ose d iscu ssed for the Troy, New York plant. The m ethod of handling the dry m ix m aterial, loading the p r e s s hoppers, and sp illage as the m oulds are filled contributes the m ajor p ortion to a ir-b o rn e a sb e sto s con cen trations in this area. Spillage with subsequent drying and reentrainm ent is very significant at this operation. It ap p ears that the bulk m a teria l loading system and m ould charging can he greatly im proved to elim in ate the sp illage and air contam ination. The gen eral area sam ples show this plant to have asb esto s fiber concentrations around 2 .0 fib e r s /c c . The sam ple showing 9 .0 fib e r s/c c w as taken during d ry -m ix blending on the night shift and rep resen ts con tam ination from the dry m ix b lenders. The dry m ix operation can be elim inated from contam inating the gen eral plant by en closu re, careful handling to avoid sp illa g e when charging, and im proved bag handling. H ousekeeping in th is area is not m aintained at the sam e le v el as in the gen eral plant. The grinding operations show le v e ls above 5 .0 fib e r s /c c which jnay require som e investigation of grinder local exhaust system s. The inspection line should be considered as a m ajor problem area, {see d is cu ssion under T roy, New York) 3. South Bend,Indiana S a m p le s for th is plant proved to contain fib e r s but at low a ir -b o rn e co n cen tra tio n s, The h ig h est count w as 2 .8 f ib e r s /c c in the grinding area. P late 5 shows a piece of resin collected on the filter surface w hile P late 6 show s a conglom erate under high m agnification containing many asb estos fib ers. The presence of this conglom erate may be of im portance and w arran t m ore efficien t control of grinding du sts. H\A/MI IRPHY1R545 T he la r g e n u m b er o f fib e r s show n in the co n g lo m era te {P late 6) w ould constitute a health hazard if such con glom erates are inhaled and reach the lung a lv e o la r su r fa c e s. C onglom erate p article siz e s appear sm all enough to ( s e e P la te s 13, 14, and 15) c o n sid er th eir in h alation and su b sequent health r isk a p o ssib ility at South Bend, Indiana. In the lim ited study o f the grinding a r e a s in th is plant one count w as g r e a te r than the 1976 a ir -b orn e asbestos standard. It is p o s sib le that a m o re com p lete sam pling m ay show other a rea s exceed in g the 2. 0 fib e r /c c lim it. Thus, the im portance of im proved housekeeping and grinder ventilation m aintenance cannot be undere stim ated. 4. Summary The serio u sn ess of the high a sb esto s fiber concentrations at T roy, New Y ork m u st be review ed im m ediately in light of current federal regu lation s and the tough-concentrated approach being conducted by OSHA p e r so n n e l throughout the country to en fo rce the new a s b e s to s standard. A w ell-p la n n ed cleanup and con trol p rogram with input from a ll helpful so u rces w ithin The Bendix C orporation is req u ired . Im m ediate com m en cem ent of such a coordinated effo rt m ay su cceed in keeping the high fiber concentration operations at T roy, New York in production. Cleveland, Tennessee shows the beginning signs of having a serious air-b o rn e asbestos concentration problem. Application of solutions d isco v ere d and installed at T roy will be re q u ire d to control a sb esto s concen tration at Cleveland now,and, as the Cleveland plant expands. South Bend plant asb esto s concentrations will require action to maintain an a ir-b o rn e level below 2.0 fibers/cc. In general, the study showed an asbestos problem throughout the m anufacture and assem b ly of friction m a teria l products within The Bendix C orporation. C oncentrated effort will be requirtid in all these operations to m eet the new fed era l standards. A large econom ic investm ent appears n e c e s s a r y at T roy, New York to m eet ju st the current fed era l standard. A m oderate investm ent in a sb esto s control d evices appears n ecessa ry at C leveland, T en n essee, The following recom m endations are m a d e to p ro v id e a sta r tin g point for B en d ix r e m e d ia l a ctio n . It i s rec o m m e n d ed that corp orate in te r e s t and r e sp o n sib ility for such a p rogram r e s t at the h igh est le v e ls of The Bendix Corporation. \ I \ A /IV /I I m m i \ / m r \ r - Jt -23 - IV. R ecom m endations A . Introduction T h ese recom m endations are m ade in light of the follow ing facts: 1. A ceilin g lim it of 10 fib e r s /cc>5p,m now e x is ts . 2. The allow able lim it by law w ill be reduced from 5. 0 fibers/cc> 5p.m to 2. 0 fibers/cc> 5p,m in 1976. 3. A sb estos exposure and its relation to cancer w ill continue to be em p h asized by the p r e s s , unions, and the governm ent. 4. In our opinion, on -goin g ep id em io lo g ica l studies such as is being conducted in M anville, New J ersey w ill show disastrou s resu lts from asb estos exposure which w ill be publicized to the fu lle st and eventually lead to a required zero lev el of exp osu re. ( This has already been requested) B. Troy,New York 1. G eneral a. Institute an im proved and continual housekeeping program in the fiber generation a rea s using only vacuum ing for a sb esto s m aterial cleanup. b. R esearch new m ethods for a sb esto s containing bulk m aterial handling. c. E lim inate raw asb estos handling w here p ossible by d irect charge to m ix er s and blenders from a separate but central storage area. d. E lim inate contam ination of high fiber concentration areas into other a rea s of the plant through: (1) Isolation (2) E lim ination of fiber generation sou rces (3) R em oval of m a n -c o o le r s and circu latin g fans (4) C ontrol of problem air cu rrents (5) C ontrol of traffic (b) C leaning of unfinished product prior to transfer into other a rea s where p ossible (7) Continual housekeeping 2. Specific a. D ry Mix P r e ss A rea (1) C ontrol cure p r e ss hot air currents (2) V entilate p r e s s e s (3) Im prove bulk m a te r ia l handling to con trol sp illa g e and air-borne fiber generation b. D isk Pad A rea (1) E lim in ate overh ead fans (2) Im prove bulk m a teria l handling sy ste m s so as to elim in ate sp illage and air -borne fiber generation (3) E lim in ate a ir-b o rn e fiber generation from the new vacuum handling m achines (4) E l i m i n a t e c o n t a m in a tio n of s u r r o u n d in g p la n t a r e a s c. M ix Room s (1) E l i m i n a t e sp illag e th r o u g h i m p r o v e d a s b e s t o s handling system s (2) E l i m i n a t e bag handling to the g r e a t e s t ex te n t possible (3) E n c l o s e m o t o r fa n s on m i x e r s H\A/MI IRPHYIRAdQ (4) E lim in ate pulsating expansion bag on m ix er s (5) Control dust generation sou rces with local exhaust v e n tila tio n d. R eclaim Room (1) Iso la te A rea (2) E n clo se system and control a ir-b o rn e fib er g e n e r ation with local exhaust and general ventilation e. Inspection (1) C lean lin in gs p rior to in sp ection (2) P rovid e lo ca l exhaust ventilation at in sp ection table surface f. Grinding and Sawing (1) C heck a ll lo c a l exhaust sy ste m s (2) In crease capture v e lo c itie s .if n e c e ssa r y C. C leveland, T ennessee 1. G eneral a. U se only vacuum cleaning for a sb e sto s and a sb esto s con taining m ixes b. E lim in ate raw a sb esto s handling w here p ossib le c. Cleanup spillage of a sb esto s and a sb esto s containing m a teria ls on a continued b a sis 2. Specific a. Dry Mix Area (1) I s o la te this a r e a f r o m th e r e s t of the p la n t (2) V e n t i l a t e a d e q u a t e l y to c o n t r o l l e a k s e t c . d u rin g m ix in g (3) E l i m i n a t e a s b e s t o s handling on m a i n floor by d i r e c t charge into the m ix ers (4) E l i m i n a t e bag h a n d lin g and s u b s e q u e n t c o n t a m in a tio n -26- <5 ) B a g h o u se e x h a u st sh ould be p la ce d o u tsid e o f the building (6) Im prove h o u sek eep in g by vacuum ing r a fte r s , equipment, e t c ., in dry m ix area b. Dry M ix P r e ss e s (1) Im prove dry m ix bulk handling system (2) V entilate p r e sse s (3) Institute vacuum cleanup m ore than once a shift c. D isk Pad P r e sse s (1) Im prove dry m ix bulk handling sy ste m s to elim in a te sp illage and air-b orn e fiber generation (2) Vacuum sp illa g e m ore than once per shift d. Inspection (1) C lean lin in gs p rior to in sp ection (2) P rovid e lo c a l exhaust ventilation at in sp ection table surface e . Grinding and Sawing (1) C heck effic ie n c y of lo c a l exh au st ven tilation (2) In crea se capture v e lo c itie s if n e c e s s a r y f . . R eclaim Area* * was not observed (see Troy, New York) D. South Bend, Indiana 1. G r i n d i n g O p e r a t i o n - C h e c k l o c a l e x h a u s t v e n t i l a t i o n on g r i n d e r s . In c re a se capture velocities if n e c e ssa ry . 2. M onitoring- Monitor air-b o rn e asbestos concentrations quarterly I I \ A / ft n i i i ~ s r--\ i i \ . The Bendix C orporation 1. P la ce h ig h est p rio rity to con trol program 2. Appoint high le v e l o fficer to o v e r a ll d irectio n and follow up of com m itted action 3. P rep a re appointee above to coordinate and approve a ll Bendix statem ents (public relation s) concerning a sb esto s problem s w ithin The Bendix Corporation 4. In c r e a se r e s e a r c h for the u se of an a ltern a te m a te r ia l (to a sb esto s) in friction products. R eport P repared By: Jon R. Swanson Ph. D.