Document 9X4Dz8Lvp4aroKjR0ZLyr0ZR

DEPARTMENT HEALTH. EDUCATION. AND WELFARE HEALTH SERVICE DISEASE CONTROL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH U.S. POST OFFICE AND COURTHOUSE CINCINNATI. OHIO <5202 27 , 1976 Xerox copy: ^-P .E . Bureau W,,E.Nessell,M.D. J.A.Guidi - St.Louis P.S.Park - St.Louis Mr. G. M. Ellsworth Plant Manager G.Roush,M.D. " G.L.Smith - M Monsanto Polymers and Petrochemicals Co. 730 Worcester Street hbl, 4/30 Indian Orchard, Massachusetts 02151 Dear Mr. Ellsworth.* 1 am responding to your letter of March 24, 1976, to Dr. John Finklea expressing your concern about certain issues relating to a study of cancer deaths among employees at your plant. As you know, an investigation of deaths among former workers at your plant was conducted by Dr.John Lewis, an employee of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) assigned to the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries. Preliminary data from his investigation was discussed with Monsanto officials on January 9. At this meeting, which you attended, the causes of death for 86 former Monsanto employees were discussed. At that time, pre liminary information indicated that cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer, appeared to be an excessive cause of death. Since then. Dr. Lewis has gathered information on a total of 397 former employees from the plant. Review of this infoinaation indicated that cancer, and particularly pancreatic cancer, still appears to be an excessive cause of death. As a result, MJOSH has determined that a more systematic study of deaths is needed to clarify the extent of cancer among the plant's employees. At this point, we cannot say whether a health hazard exists at your plant. Tka^determlnalluu must await an indeylll, comprenensive investigation .health effects as then relate to specific exposuresl We would not be prepared to launch such an extensive study until all available death, certificates have been collected and the results evaluated. X am enclosing copies of letters which Dr. Lewis has prepared summarizing the information we have available on causes of death, among Monsanto employees. The data shown in the letter to Dr. Decoufle are essentially RSV 0020123 Mr. G. M. Ellsworth - Page 2 an expanded version of the material discussed at the January 9 meeting and represent the efforts of Dr. Lewis in pursuing his earlier work. Jt is evident that the newspaper articles referred to this larger set of deaths in their stories. J trust we can work cooperatively to complete the study so that we can determine whether or not there is, indeed, a significant increase in cancer deaths among the employees from your plant. We will keep you and other concerned parties informed of further developments. Sincerely yours, Enclosures CC: Dr. John Finklea Dr. Pierre Decoufle Dr. John Lewis Bobby F. Craft, Ph.D. Director, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies RSV 0020124 To: rom: ect: ate: John F. Finklea, M.D., Director, N.I.O.S.H. John N. Lewis, M.D., N.I.O.S.H. physician assigned to the Division of Occupational Hygiene, DepartmentJ of Labor and Industries, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Monsanto Polymers and Petrochemicals Company, Indian Orchard, Mass. September 9, 1975 Since July of this year, this office has been informed of eighty-six deaths among past v:orkers at Monsanto, Indian Orchard. This information was provided by K.C.S.H.A., Committee for Occupational Safety and Health Action, a group of workers formed at the tine of the vinyl chloride alert to coordinate information on work-related health problems. This group has no official connection with the union. The data were obtained from active and retired Monsanto >rkers who recalled fellow workers in the vinyl chloride and - 7C operations who had died of any cause. Eighty-six of these deaths were confirmed by finding a Massachusetts death certificate, and the causes of death were tabulated. These diagnoses are shown in the table using the I.C.D. code numbers (eight revision). "Vinyl Chloride" workers were said to have worked in buildings 84, 88, or 92 in which vinyl chloride monomer vas used. "P.Y.C, fabrication" workers were said to have worked in building 85 in which V.C.H. was not used. "Maintenance" workers were said to have worked in any of the above buildings. Among workers said to have worked in P/V.C. fabrication (building 85), 27.5% of the deaths, 14 of 51,-were from cancer. This compares to 16.5% of deaths caused by cancer nationally. Furthermore, 4 of these 14 cancers were pancreatic. Cancer of the pancreas accounts for only 5.5% of cancer deaths nationally. Officers of Monsanto, Indian Orchard have been informed of this apparent excess of cancer deaths, and they have expressed doubt about the reported employment history of some of the de ceased workers. They have been asked to permit review' by this office of the complete employment records for the P.V.C. fabri cation area. Employment records of the deceased workers have also been requested. We propose to investigate the mortality experience smong these workers by means of a cohort study. . L/me RSV 0020125 cc: Paul Alvarado, N.I0.S.H. Paul E. Bureau, Monsanto K.O.S.II.A. TT 1 > ^ rv *1 1 Do/Hrs anH Mar'hl np WnrVprs. Local 288 * j cause: ok dkatk or 6 wisamto chemical workers CI.C.D. Eighth Revision) Cause of Death Vinyl P.V.C. Rain- Chloride Fabrication tonnnee Total infectious diseases 000 - 136 01 01 Cancer: Esophagus Colon 3ile system Pancreas Lunn Cone and connective Prostate Lymph and blood 150- 153 156 157 162 170 - 174 165 ?aa - 90O ** 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 4 3 2 1 l IO 02 01 0 1e c3 Aj 12 f^xona Diabetes Dementia Polyneuritis 215 0 250 0 290 0 354 1 1 i 1 0 01 a1 1 01 Rheumatic heart disease 394 0 1 lschnic heart disease 410 - 414 7 20 Cerebrovascular disease 430 - 435 2 9 Aortic aneurysm 44 | 0 0 A! A 33 !5 11 Pneumonia 436 1 0* 0 1 Emphysema 492 1 2 03 Intestinal and peritoneal dis. 560 - 569 0 2 02 Liver necrosis and cirrhosis 570 - 571 1 1 24 Neehri+is 582 - 583 2 0 09 Auto, accidents Chemical toxins 800, 302, 864 963, 930, 986 0 9 3 y 03 0A Drowning 994 1 0 01 Total 99 51 13 36 RSV 0020126