Document EqdgEGQmYwzM81Qmv3bgxX4qR

"Safe5" mix of gas still at issue JE DEBATE over wba* constitute* a s -f breathable level of cfcterWt aoJ * pew one a the Amerieaa Ktealtfcc comatunity. ' in the I93(fc m* researchers found U (0^i sf* antithetic. Bat over the next 30 v scientists found Use gas vr*jy the heart usd rejected it* medical r>c. By I9 Rwsian scientist* reported that 15 of nayj chloride workers r er*. with Um exception of la bomtorjr rorters, last year worked in level* ol the gaa bekw 10 ppm. Laboratory employe* worked in average concentrations ol ap to 30 ppm. company spokesmen say. But Torfcelson's peers ir. the scientific community found his 1961 research re* port suspect and commissioned research Of their own. That study don*; at Yale University, icd published in 3963. rejected t&e find* ingjt of the Dow researchers. The Yale found to here offered liver damage. study concluded that, on the basis of Boi the delete on the dan per that in* their work, the Dow scientist* were being trsrtriftl workers were facing in the uflduiy cautious. They found that nda ex vnited States wok on no real heel until posed to 500 parts per million suffered no ;$5l when Dr. T. R. TorkeJwvn and other significant damage and recommended Dove Chemical scientists reported that such exposure level as safe (or humans. their research shoved liver change* ia animal* exposed to vinyl chloride concen tration* t bar u 100 part* per million part* air. The Dow conclusion* were based oo animal research which !**ted six months. The Vale conclusions were based oo stud* fee which lasted shorter period* of time. They recommended a working ex* They exposed ret* to various concentra pc*ure level o! 50 parts per million for tions of vmyl chloride for periods rang* buejaaf. Dow spokesmen say they began jm from 19 days to three months. instituting that standard immediately and The American Conference of Covers. both the Dow and Yale stodie* tad bufo ally accepted the iiadj&gs of the latter. They recommended that the tauiottm concentration for human exposure to vinyl chloride be 500 ppm. More than a decade later. Italian studIts showed Tbfketson acd his associate* to be much closer to the truth than the Yale scientist*. Those Italian studies showed cancerous tumor* in raU exposed to vinyl chioride at level* w low a* 250 ppm. Later studies, announced ia April ol this year, showed luer c3ecer in mice who were exposed to levels down to 50 ppm. In January of this year ibe 5. F. Good- nch plant on Bell* Lane anc&UBced that three of iu employe* bad died of angio sarcoma of the liver, a rare cancer. Since then it few been discovered that 26 work ers at plants around the werid bare died because of their exposure to vinyl chin- ,, ride. | The Dote experience ) cfoim that all their vinyl chlonde work* Bttnial iadurtml Hygienist* looked at But Torteisoa (a dq( critic*! erfhu sd- ? eatifle peer* because they didn't accept bis recommendation* in 1961. t "Dow ha* generally taken a fairly coo* ' aervative position oo raattm of health. ; Quite frankly ai 106 (pom vinyl chloride) we saw only' * very minor change ia toe : liver,*' fee said. **We might have been justified }j inter* * preting (the research data) differently. - but we chow to interpret it the most conservative way ve could. **111? ether companies certainly had more than one choice ahead of them be cause there definitely u conflicting ani mal data and there was the body of hu man experience that this work had been going on for years with.; ao noticeable : change ia people," So far no Dow workers ha'v* died of = angiosarcoma have been found. Whether or not it's because the com. pny went to an exposure ratt of 50 ppm . in the early *eor when*all the other U5. ; companies found a 500-ppm Um.it accept*: able or because Dow a small operator . i* not known. Most authorities. familiar with the site-: alioD. reckon tha*. it ti because the. Dow Polymerization vessels for production of polyvinyl chloride operation is so saraUrtkat cot many eza*` ployes are exposed to vnyl chloride. Copies to: A. Vittone R. D. Scott J. L. Nelson E. W. Harrington H. Waltemate B. M. G. Zwicker G. Pow W. J. Wilcox P. J. Weaver R. B. Downey E. B. Osborne K. Greene R. P. Kenney/A. L. Hatfield/C Ss. V nI o Flynn |prniyi cnionaea suspected ^factor in other diseases ' |:--v. --T' -'f DANKAUFHAS, Co*rir-Jera>J Staff Tritv ^*&`6B0WJNG Bomber of Amentia ad* ' ; Th* Ruisian researchers, A. N, VaziB Given that cancer is tocroscd it means -wtirta beUer* vinyl chloride may c<um / , l4b?r dt5ea** beside* U>* 02m U*ve -and -L Piokhov*. concluded that the that other causes must be decreased, he /considerable change* is the cardiac *c- said, because your totals must still add ^iSteady uncovered. : fcrily'* of the rata, meant that safe ex* up to 100 per cent. ,, iSsw sciential* think tbey'H eventually - pd*ur level* for human* are below 12 "There it not really any information item and felood-veaftl dij* T =*e** ere alto caused by exposure to the pan* per mitfion, . . - Con bean d&ease) there one way or the American weaker* can now legally other. All yes tax really My is that if >;.aKiu* **. ~iWJuyl chloride is * flammable gaseous - vJdcnpound zo*4e by either joini-oe hydro- - chloride with acetylene or by break* " Dig down irilh beat *$fe>)en* dkblerfde. i `-A felroltmn derivative. It w first tto*| ijQred in the 1830s and has bees in vide fewtertfiai use since the lS4(k, Originally H im thought to have no iii effect on bdmans In concrntralioTw that did sot produce narcosis. ': - ` Tbs Nation*! Institute for Occupational' ' Safely aad Health in Washington. JXC^ a&d HI Sinai Medics! Schoc) in Sew Vorit City are both in the middle M raor- taiity studies which should show if rtttfi work in level* of siftyl chJorid* up to bO "thete ec e tsctewse in heart disease H parts vinyl chloride per mtUion pari* per was less ibaa tt* inertan in cancer," ho air. Bui the U.S. Pepartmefit of babor is *ai<t roAriderins adopting a standard that Dr. J- William Lioyd. director of- the would permit no detectable amount* of office of occupational health eurveitUrtce gas in the workplace. aad btaneme* fee the Nations! Irwtiiute L'aions are supporting tb* propewed pi Occupaijas*! Safety amd but- standard but many manufacturer* are tressed S|onso> pot/iL pushing for a higher limit ol aoaewhere "Both (heart disease and cancer) t between 1 and 50 ppm on the ground* night he up on a rale basis, but on * that the no detectable limit wtmid pot proportional basi* tiik* the Harrard them out of business. The ftras say tber* study) no (additional) heart dist* : mart be a detectable fere] of viayj cido- would show." fee said. ride at which vwfccrs are in no danger. With the exception of the Russian study, evidently no research orirt* on the heart's reaction to low level* el vinyl chloride. LJovd a*jd fcs agenej- is engaged ia * mortality stsdy of worker* here wfjds may show wfee^er or no! there has bees bight? than ootmal incidence of heart dieeaae^ ' Neivs analysis Some workers at the Goodrich plant on Bella Lane, bewerer. are convinced that something U aftertiss their heart*. Tbs Busstan heart mearch appeared i abrinrt fw ia 4 toxkvlogr section of ' CfcrratcaJ Xb&kzvxi in 1969. chloride workers ar experiencing a high er incidence of such duease*. Vinyl thie- ' ride is the baric building block of a wide ly used Induririri plastic. Dr. Harry Hetmatm, * research prefer- tor at Xt, Sioii. paid, `'There is no douM in my mind that we wiU eventually dis* cover a whole.series of conditions which devtlop a result of exposure to vinyl One of (he employes, who has heart 7L* orer-iH eatw of that sectioa was disease, said, "We knew there was au ahnormal amount of people hsriog heart trouble and artery disc***, but w* never knew vital we could do about it. We'd brine it up in safety meeting#, and they T. B. Ttffikelses. * Dow Cb^uesi nissfiiA who U cow the bead of the iianufictortoc Chemist* Attocittion'* vinyl rhl^nce task force. The task force it supported by 17,5. didn't 10 talk about it. Tho&e so- tssnafaclurer* and uwss of vteyl cslortde. called safety meetings were mostly about Torkelsoa uyt he rtsaersberj The how to put a rupiare di*e back about not losing any production." in or . abstract but xt the time "did trot think It was w*rth penBAti?* . chloride* "You already know about the bone, akin ?M Hvrr changes and the cancer. ., Now there i--s t.h..ev s--ugge--s-t-i-o-n- o- f heart However, worker* now asree almost unanimously that the safcy-flrst slogan ha* bed meamnfi isc plant, mmger Phil Lawrence took over oper*tms more "i jurt didst Hunk it w?i cd eooygh afgnificance. f dost mean to be flip, but when * pretty girt walk* by >*our desk your 1*1 xHt cfcasge*." trouble, changes* in xthhet IluTMng*s* *a.ndtliLt}lw tbw ye *ftd one-heif ago. s Hlikie the blood vessel* wwill hbe tlftxfni* But if the workers we convinced their V indeed. Russian -studies dob* ** v*ff heart problem# are related to their work Further tiuir tten merited lev*ela*s<1498v9iauywl Jcjhclaorjcid^e*1 ciuL&ge a rat'i their physicians are hot. rhj-iirtans with whom this reporter * WSidie* showed exposure levels iIwy fc`J. Ift#j ^Vtcrs' Torkel5*m *4ded that TiuaaSan research "cao range iron* Irmendou* to pathetic. The roan wfco can produce resuha i a u low is appwoomatel)' iZ to 16 part* riayl chloride ter million parts rif w* gu6ta vWit'>' of hero so stasetrroc* sch ol it pnliUcslI)" duae. m'fdlvated end es< stVcatHicaHy ecrtinte. (ppm) paused irregular rhythm, slowing and other changes In the hearts of 10 wrhUe rat* when they breathed UKh to*4 for five month*. ' But jppwMXly Amwias msrttu ca itlSmis to find out tt cicViSr Worker rufpidon rife v. 4. ... ... w ** 0 U^4'J* . We had no war t* #>**iti*te that re search.'' ' But other* rostvst TerVtia&jj'* erahuUon of Russian rwpMrch^ UL's Pt. dnfew Wwsa. a cfetcuitry pro- i*sor, sri? shhoagb he teons might po* dhMor tor luE i- ^ ^ ttoihing <sf the- fc-art meant, fcssaa knowledge of vfer/i chloride ii gcocrtUy Thrr poita out th.t m- timutorr &X.***** conceded to to riu AOrt advascod ia the tniTM s _ti ! a mi 'imh-1*. 2fa^(jt*in,ifr2mafns?'."w^orwker?s ,?tfejtrseptbev;* Me tPptjea abo^d be to <fe * lot of otter Aaeri- wM. Dr. nowvr*, cs# tt Wt cardiovascu- made from the rat a heart to man s heart. ^,n| : lr secUott, thmfcx &*t the Bu*v work . * ____ . t Indeed. study J death* *t the Loots- ' merit* furtb*? research. ^ Zero siomjsrd under *tud) ^ ^ cthtft City Goodrich plants by She skid, *ttfr Ttk&si * transition of . .. ^. the Harvard school nf Public Hesith the article, "Tbcy hgvr crrUinly demoo- , Orront At.uimb uoj. Jrtcludmi; tht ,0.J;>a df,,h, K^n problem, strated that there- ire changes (in mis' Veins .done t the Vnnentty et - r:?c^isl]y the nwt* but mybe .iicMiy yiHe. eonceolrolloc on cncetf.uurt jJ>,,,h>nn.tlt.nelfipu-t, - .ritMte ot the.re*, if, ot.e-i t the Bul & Richerd Menjen. the m.ln . LouisviHe Goodrich plant are knc-n to ^fesre died ef Uvcr canctT which iccnv >!mort certainly to have been caused b> *. -j!rK: bh^ow'rst' of the nothin'g study. s*v th?* it about the inetdence of hearts) and itsxt there it a curoulativa effect. hujoao Bow 1 don't kr*--*v."traM relate to ibe exposure to vinyl chlcric'c. The world 4 -'wide Jet rvLaoch dealhr now amwaU to 24117002 THE CO(.RItH*JUtK,'AL1 tlVU/Ali Ai.VV#> T-q, $ Worker cancer incidence is `high' A RECENTLY completed Hwirt The recent increase lends credence to caused by vinyl chloride, a *s which is o* deaths at the Calvert City and these who believe the latency period be used at the pUst. Leninite Goodrich r'.U shows that tween the heavy exposure to vinyl chlo Six *lhyl chloride workers, wf were tertr cancer u iro times higher than it ride aod the time cancer appears u 20 employed at lie pfctot, hv died d a should be rd that cancer in general it years or more. rare liver cancer. Two mors hart tbs about $0 per erst higher than oormsl. - Company spokesmen, however, point oat that !bt study invoiced fmali- .aunt- Dr- Irving J. StlidoH of lb* HI. Stnaj School of Xledicine thinks "uncontrolled exposure* ia the past are likely io be re cancer, angsovaueo* <d the liver. One of the tow furloughed had been on the job tea than hrr* years, He ben of deaths, to that in tome cate* one add!ttonal death could change the statis tics gigsifittaUy. flected in the occurrence cl tumors ia the decades ahead ..." cleaned v*l* m which vinyl chloride is used. * . -*' " AU oi tte dead worker? were fir*t ex The tpote&sosR dot* oot dispute the accuracy of the statistic* since the cos' Six death* from cancer posed to' ifc* dwawcaj abort 20 years ago. p*ny cupphtd the Harvard reteurhen with the iKts they needed. .'. The study <ku by Dr. Richard Wottttfl and Dr. John Peters noted that the amount of cancer in tfct two plant* baa increased sharply m the last four years. They found the rale ta be about 09 p*r cent higher than expmed. Company rpekesowa say that the can- ter risk t the two XftftJtky plasu is u> explained and point to a study done by the 3tf*iwjJe<urtt)g Chemist* Association that shows that cancer death* in the en tire industry *re "rap*rahie to thovc experienced tar other V.5. industrial The workers have bet* furloughed , til it can fcy deJermirsd tf additional pos-ure u-piiid be harwei. They are ccjving their full pay. - b** The dead wortert weft aii exposed i<L^ vinyl chksrtde vbas*tfc.cfe were recatireaT ly few frecaatiaca v&t-it Jo kern frosS^i escaping into tbs a?r. Company officii;)^ The study covered deaths between 1W7 fopuUi>oaj fell leas than the pm?*l pb- *ay tire: tk?,i- are rfaisU;n:.^ as f^O and 1973. Until IPS? employee died of po.'ue? 5?%tl < i gv-yrewheft arc-jri ;#"* caaw at about a normally expected rale. Eight employer oi the company iu\e parts vinl chl-uudc j.vr jnuho.i part* air" But after that the rates Parted to *boot been furloughed because of fhsojrc* ia Company offtfsti- say tb-tre ;* ro c^> uo dramatically. their liver*. The dung** may have bora deoce th*t zt AArstiul } l.-uniaw. 2 i... ~ ' tifeweeer, Dr. Flowara Mild her "cm* 'fct&it the hazard (Jo hintact) i* aia- f IsaL Btft you should not discount what . hastened in this research." r* Skr was 9!ta of terersi doctors who 'discovered that people inhaling Un ^mouV frM>a ia order le Rii high ` were dytpg of heart aitack* mlar than or tw other cxttte a was ' fimtfjttifkt - -Ppeoa aod \isyi cfciorid# <n both -hydioca: boat,. , * Orwe tested, jar aamthaia - It li sow knows that eoaceotraiad tom - .of viojl chloride cas e*u*e het damage M that wfcKJt aiway* ihe cw. ./ Bocctoe high IcceSs ot ti gs cause hmm to Jtoe cptottowam, m>sm a#di- -*l researchers its .tit* 133e rteom- ; mended it e*e at an anwttoti*. Em- - ^D)tt ad the Goodrich Sell* Lane plant vj<frt it wat-soi a* ttoeojamoa. ia the- for worker* to p* -out becayt* of ecpocurc to the gat. They jay this no MtStf happen* now that 1m!* erf the -gas ire more carefully controlled* ; >-Ss tbr JP30 rrrchers found vinyl Uidkriic to be safest of it family of cam noted ita "gtnerat toxic ef/wt (to - ,be> very *Hsht.H They frit it w safer ^tfutn *on* other anesthetics then is . ! -''fBcfc' ss eWoro/orro. Vinyl chJoriie's . : anesthetic mm was recommended **fw . ysaqniemcnUry aarcosi* with laughing su j itG&oXy&Ti.'' VirlM by the Idtifc further remreb ' ' tWw}S that level* high enough to pro- > doc* uccoctoiobtneft ie dog* si*o pro- i dead -very serious'1 reatfunctisn* of ibe ] km, including racsajL, independent i fasetioemg of tb right tpd left sida strt ; Other change* in the hearts electncai , -j When these effects became known ft i wa*w of course, cocciu4td that viayl dfotto's us* a* an antstiwtie was BHtfo. Those dangerous effects, bowerer. were erased at extremely bigb ievek. MMk a* ?o.600 to 1)0,000 parts yiay) rtbridt per million part* of air. tike all anefthoUc*. vinyl chloride at Vtnneir , casceatrated teTti* causes i Ain . -! 24117004 i : - ?'C- #.. < V