Document MKkB1m67X74m0034Gy14e5Gy

<r ' ' ' Debunking Madison Ava Wliilc asbestos protects a*; tins'. many ha/auis in our techno logical society, its use presents other serious hoards, Most vulnstcblc arc the miners and factory woikcis who have on o!j- irormally high propensity towards lung ond cancer diseases, presumably caused by long-term asbestos fiber inhalation. When zsked why their ad foils to deal with '.his subject, one represent.-!- live of Johns-f.'anville said, "I don't believe asbestos is hazardous Jo the general public." Curu-nl studies indicate, however, that the clangers of asbestos dust can extend to non-workers. One IS60 re port on pollutants by Litton Systems, Inc., estimates that 103,000 asbestos workers, 3.5 million workers in related industries, and approximately 50 million other Americans have been exposed to asbestos and could have fibers in their lungs. Asbestos/s unique. Given its strength, heat resistance, flexible fibers, and adsorption poweis. it is not surprising that industria lists have an estimated 3,000 uses for this materiel, many of which are found in the average household. Asbestos cement pipe and board are used for sewage pipelines, wallboards, and roof partitions. Asbestos plastics, friction products, and textiles can function as ironing beard covers, floo' tiles, brake and kiln linings, listers for beer or medicines, fireproof rugs end curtains, etc. As bestos spray and paper insulation protect boilers, pipes, end even manhole covers fr.,rn vibration, heat and fire. But before Oliver workers can put asbestos fibers to construc tive use, asbestos xvorkers must refine the mineral deposits into manageable, marketable forms. And f.u from enjoying the piotec- tivf: qualities of asbestos themselves", they arc continually ex- liusc.5 to p-js'iide inhalation of asbestos dust. Once loose airborne Ibsis fodc'c in the lungs, they remain tltue permanently. Johris-f.isnville, the largest U.S. manufacturer of asbestos pro ducts, new admits that thei-i are occupational hazards associated w-itli the contiroc.is inhalation of asbestos fibers. They have con tributed funds for a research program on workers health being lead by Or. Irving Sclikoff, Professor of Environmental Medicine el Mount Sinei Hospital in Mew York and a leading authority on asbestos hazards. But as late as 103?, Dr. Sclikoff wrote to many of the largest asbestos manufacturers in the United States and was unable to obtain employee health records from any of them. Only when he contacted tiic Asbestos Workers Union did he find co operation to begin extensive studies of workers. It may seem odd tivf Johns-fAmvilia docs not mention their fc-scsich efforts in-their promotional advert isamer.t. But mention - of any health hazards'might interfere with Johns-Muiwille's cur rent efforts to disclaim any responsibility or even knowledge of possible hazards to those outside of the work environment. Furthermore, in spite of recorded lung diseases in asbestos wor kers os far hack as early Greek history, industry has not succeeded in Sower inj the high l umber of disease victims each year. As early as 102-1, Dr. \7.E. Cooke, an English physician, coined the word "a-sbestesis" to duMtiibe .the unusual fibrous lung rearring wh'dr hod been found in si-vcra! asbestos workers. By Ib'ub, a uispciled link between ..shr.--.tos fiber inhalation end lung ivnceV was strong- ly supported ;>/ ffa.hcrd fj. Dull's report that woikcis exposed to l-:;vy concentration', ol asbestos dust lor over twenty years had approximately 12 tiroes more lung oiuv: than e/peeUst. Then, in Hint). studies l-y Or. J. Christoph.;:- n.-r in one as- ..-t>!os nursing area in Rout'. Airier revealed '/! i-.iscs of :r:.o:lvu enna. an extremely rare cancer of trie r.h-jt nr al.irfonvioi cavity - fs*jlly found i:t only one nut of lG.L'BO ::-_-top`.i.:s. I'.y IbCl, V.V..J- n-r li.id di;.gn:.:i <1 J;'-) uiL-soiiiali.-.iu.i c.as.'s, and i|! but i.v.i had I* id sosii-.- o.-postiM: in ii-.b-. stos. in an ariicle in rni iiohn-cnf itugi/ini: March 1960, Dr. SelikoM sr.id that the mesothelioma tumors, i longer rare, r.ic so common among asheslcs w<>.s "as to eintcr constitute a tumor specific to asbestos evposui o." In spite ol Dr. Selikuff's behcl that all r.sPv. tods cm-ld he rnifwtcd, and in spite of Johns Manvill-.-'s claim ih .: i.'v:y iw.r i: > effective monitoring and ventilation equipment, one our of n. ashcslos wor!:e;s still die* of lung cancer, one cut of v.r, of ash. tesis, one out of ten uf mesothelioma, and one out c*i ten of c.- troiulcstin.il cancer. To deal with the increasing public awareness of those medic findings, Jolm'.-Manvili :*s latest promotion-''! 'Tfort v.l-. to with sovi *i n'lv.i asbt ;los pnjrhi' 1-; rtvr.ajfucU u to fo.n. l':c A b';:.tor. Infoin'.'ition Arsocii't'nd/IIorih A<n.uie-i fAlA/ei/.i. r> 'operate hum Hi'; ami twro'-vltc.ii, liu:.. a Ivgi: public rc!,,.: u-. in Wr-vA'/oik. In their first press release- dated fd.irri: ?. I* / exp'-.inad tlrit"s.'im" mlvtiti .t*:, ()<" inm-.n'. ot!-i r.1:. wiiters have mala a:i i.'lo-jical iumn" in .v.siim::i.' iii.il ;i-.t. hj/.rrducs to the ijriu.el pul .cm. HER 0001055 rj hrnkh Iii.vie!. i'-.irolrl i/x.W.'b fi&r.i Cvrtain - feed Products Corporation. n-.-.v president of AlA/iJA, s?id die formation cf the new (j.oup represents "th: industry's efforts to doie our side of die ii.forn'-iti-.n g g>." out ocrUmily a gap ex. is is i! I lie industry docs not fi:;! nMi.-pu.-d jo ili* public of the d-mgers associa ted with Iv.t.v Iib a .'uf.ulJiion. In 3 f-K ri folder u:; asbestos r.r.l. health rccr.nl iy distributed by A. its,;:,i-.--.is is described a ili-.case dint ve-lops in ivor' ers "only nlt-i ir.'i datin'. of excessive conconlratVini of asbestos Just over a prr.Vnl did avei;<).:s 17 yi-ors__(1 ! f.'-v.s not occur a- .lonij p.e i! j.-jptd.jti m.' Cut dfs sMIt.itifiil s tp-iaMicr! t>y !- :ud fo-.i . :i'.,* i'l ;l' !:t!r-:i is i.m yes posSibli:; >: !.<; cannot de- -.I the fine . rv>i,ur-.d i! !: ; I-..ill y; ;v. tv.-wity y. t id.. go die r.or.-.li: i;.-. is nr:: ! -w.-V'l `;i,;iv.;->fo,.is" i: d-jtro! r, tin lust t.: boijin yen:': bi-fo.-v. Piuilvrinc-'S, Vvajnci's 'lodl-.-; showed :Svit many of thou: wall i,:itiih.:!ir:i.--j'v/`T>.- not I:\fs ilic:r.sefvi-.; -.mne fi..-rf liv.-I in I'-Uev;* .'.un i niltii) i,.i:i iivvd and played n>;.!i mills ;.;i-| pun. a; i:*.1 y unit .r.giy ii.ii.ilu sullicicni number; ol asbestos fi ' bers to iiicicasc Uicir so-,.-..-p!ii>ility to r.incr. Lciedeliun !ins not yet been very el feel We. The Occupation) Henltb and Safety .--\i.t of 1*J7U only pm.-d with modifications weakening its effect. Atnl though a M.m.l i:it of five fibers per cu bic cuiii.n dcr i; recommended, the threshold limit for .-irbo'.iinc fibers rein-iins at five Million jiai deles pur cubic foot, ari old stan dard incapable of reducing disease levels to expected rates. Cut J .'hnj-Manvillc can make son'e improvements without legislative assistance. At picsi-tU. there.are approximately 15 hy gienists in four hygiene labs responsible for m-vriiturinj the environment of nil of J.'hr.s-f.-ianvilla'r. I>1 ,C03 worker; and for controlling dust emissions. Such a staff is appallingly i:u:d-(juntc. Mr. lul.veid Fenner, Diier.tor of Environi'iiera.',! Centro! at JohnsMnnville, knew of no wot her educationprograms^; such, though they are listed by AI A/!'.`A as a control. Safety meetings are held, blit they may be as short ns five minutes on oh wool'.. Mo specifics were rv.iikblcfr&m the company on the amount of r.-.'jivi-'riny c tjuipmont actually in use, the selection vrl pn-ccrihiae of'o-: . rnoniiored, or the regularity of rnonitorin-j un each job. If .lukiis-f.iarivill::, with an expressed itneir.st in work :r? I tea It h, is unnlile to slate specifically hcv.< control procedures arc carried out, v.`hat protection is guaranteed the (.rneral public for which the coni'vmy docs not yet fee! responsible?' Unprotected demolition of buildings can release large amounts ' of asbestos dust. UnconTioiled spraying or asbestos by insulation . workers on construction sites is 3 porcntial danger to other wor kers and passer soy. Seven:! cities may fo'law f-'hiiad.-iphla's example and .ban the process, altogether. Fci fifteen years, Mr. Albeit Hutchinson, intcrnetiuu.d president ot the As bestos Workeis Union, ha? been pointing out th*.- kararoV o< .'v.r.jtos p!ec:r! inse'e air dur-e ca ii'mladG.i. Fib::; vnll g.cdnclty cmde and be dispvrsod by ti:e central air comnticnb-;; jystent to affeet everyone working within the modern hijh-ri.te itpi'clir.n. In fact, the presence of fibeis in the luv,:: durina routin-j autop sies led Dr. Seiikoff to state uvi-r a year o: "I can sm/ now tlvu people v.-ho jive in cities have -.sbe-stos in their lung.;." sV'.-.iie moil scientists cuireruiy believe that.lpw-levt.l e.poniie to arbesMs is harmless, the possibiliv/ that portions of the public are highly ex posed need further research. In several places in the facts folder, A!A/i !A states that !hai; is no evidence that anyone "in the genera! puU'c has ever contrcc-urf any disease from exposure to wearing or wontharing of b a'c-: lin- : ings. floor tile, roofing, wait or ceiling pani is, or similar asfcovlns-- contr ininp IiatiiS." True, most asbestos products intended fur uaiv-ral public usa, such as Ike clothing in the ad, are coated end -l.erofore not consi dered harmful. The fibers'remain "locked in" as long as the ma terial is not torn or ripped apart during u..-. Rut the products containing louse fibers which are also rn.'iii.`.-i`.-:l to the public a-e never mentioned. And several cases ol mused!..'bonn have beer: ieported in people who have had only limited exposuic- to asbestos years before. One In-year old boy had helped hi; fjth-.-rg.ui plas terboard for a remodeling job.. Another m...-: had sprayed a .bestos on boilers in his home. Other timer, asbe-iios v/orhvrs br- ughl fibers hoitv! on their clothing. Insecticides, fertilisers, end t-:!cum cosmetics Iv.vu all born Known to contain loose asbestos fiber;. It has cv.ei been reported that some kindeig.ii ten children were al lowed `u asbestos fil.- i with -s-iter as a day substitute. In all ol th .-s'! c.ise,, tie: persons in coute-.i v.-kli loose o .:.*.s; js rlurl i:oiiUt liive l.ec-n w.:;oi-d to use c.iutl'i-i -ind p-:.i,'>'.r venti'.itio/i. If Johns Manville would admit postibl: h.i.'Cid to ihv pub lie cn-J sleight s.-fety preiautions. (hey would no' have in light the- po'oljjp I'-lfttioi s belli.: tiiey -ie i:nMting for ilie.r, .i-lvrs. V ~ Avery Tavf,;r HER 0001056