Document KxOg50K4OadLGvmVvEYGR2Bo

_ US, /[oC/p^Z liTinternational plastics news Britain's `OSHA' has second thoughts about VCM ;i\ A v\ t. A. S. D. An article in a recent issue of the Turning to the statistics for the British Medical journal suggests that general population, living near PVC- vinyl chloride monomer may not be as using plants, the study founa one serious a hazard as was tormerly confirmed case of angiosarcoma, a supposed. man who lived within half a mile of In that publication (Oct, 7,1977), Dr. such a plant for 6 years before his Peter Baxter and three other doctors death. However, no correlation could who are affiliated with the Health & be found between the incidence of the Safety Executive (a British govern disease in the general peculation and ment agency similar to our OSHA), the location of PVC operations. -- reviewed the preliminary report by the /" The report also failed to find any agency on the inciaence of angio cases of the disease that could be sarcoma (liver cancer) in Great attributed to ingesting VCM from Britain. foods contained in PVC packaging t Specifically the report looked for materials. any correlation between incidence of ""Based on that 10 year period, the the disease among worxers and in the article's authors concluded that the general public around factories where incidence of this type of cancer in PVC resin is manufactured or pro Great Britain appears to be considera cessed. bly less than 10 cases annually in a Reviewing health records for the population of 50 million and that only 10-yr period of 1963-73, the study one case of the disease diagnosed states that of the 47 cases of liver during that entire 10-yr period could cancer reported, in only 14 instances be definitely associated with VCM was the diagnosis confirmed. Further, exposure. The authors, however, did of those 14 cases, only one could be not dismiss the possibility that "confidently associated" with expo angiosarcoma could be caused by sure to VCM. In that instance, the low-level exposure to VCM and worker had probably been exposed to endorsed a continuing monitoring of VCM concentrations exceeding 200 the situation. ppm in air for more than 20 years. The Commenting on the study, a VCM exposure standard in Britain spokesman for the Employment is 10 ppm averaged for an 8-hr day. Medical Advisory Service, the parent This 1400 mm (47 in ) polyethylene pipe was recently extruded on a 160 mm (6 1/2 in.) extruder m a trial run at the builder's plant before shipment to a pipe producer in Europe. Designed and built by Luigi Bandera S.p.A., Busto Arsizio. Italy, the extruder has a rated output of about 1550 Ib/hr and can produce pipe ot up to 55 in. dia. 42 organization of the Health & Safe Executive, stated: "The findings gi\ us grounds for hope that the chemic will turn out to be less of a cancer ris than when the American fmdinc were announced." U.Kt plastics production posted gains in '77 Though final figures for the year a yk 4 ym I i I-- L-, f a r [iOk y&i avaudUic, A P ^ ^ i | A4 h P ^< wut_rwi.iv figures for the first 6 months of 191 indicated that the year may end l about 6% higher than 1976. Based on the first half of the yec. 1977 plastics production totalle 1.356 million metric tons (&DOUt 3.: billion lb). This represents an anno rate of about 2.7 million ton compared to 2.56 million tons in 197 Considering the lethargic state of tf (100 metr tons Alkyds Polyesters Aminos Phenolics Epoxides Polyurethanes Other thermosets Total 444.8 72.4 34.1 92.0 29.8 11.2 38.4 166.9 Acrylics Polyethylene Polyethylene PVC Other vinyls Polystyrene (crystal) Polystyrene (impact) Polystyrene (expanded) Other styrenes ABS Polyamides Other thermoplastics Total SSI.6 33.3 264.5 133.3 203.1 5.7 34.2 53.9 29.4 5.3 16.6 16.4 14.7 Total 12964 British economy, this performance viewed as reasonably satisfactory. Looking at specific resins, the was no major growth area. Bo polypropylene and polyethylene r; ahead of '76, though PVC products remained level. With the exception of polyprop', ene, there was no major shift m tr level of exports or import:, F however, was up about 34% on , annualized basis over the 71,0, metric tons shipped in 1976. Irnpor of PP were up almost as much, abc26%. The accompanying table snot the U.K. production by resin for t: first half of 1977 BOR 014851 f oi.rjary 1078 / plastics wc