Document NRJZLv6p3kLr7nEnGzb0OJ1p

ASBESTOS DUST INHALATION February 2, 1970 Page 2 of the lungs, pleura, and peritoneum have become increasingly convincing. Current efforts must be directed toward better definition of the importance of type, size of fiber and the importance of co-factors." As you well appreciate, asbestos and asbestos products are widely used within the Du Pont Company. There has been a lack of a unified program for the appraisal of dustiness and for controlling the inhalation of asbestos.- Mow there is an increased interest on the part of governmental agencies in all aspects of occupational health and safety. Last year new regu lations were published under the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act and a part of these regulations includes the adoption of the limits for concentration of asbestos dust in the air. In addition to this action there was proposed.in Congress, during the last session, that a federal act should regulate the amounts of contaminants that occur in the air in work places. This Legislation failed of passage, but undoubtedly will come again before Congress and it is anticipated by persons in the health protection field that there v/ill be federal legislation. Concerning the widespread use of asbestos in the Du Pont vCompany, it is a fact that in chemical processing asbestos is almost ubiquitous. It occurs in insulation for vessels and pipelines. In the past, and continuing to the present, asbestos has been a commonly used insulating material. Insu lating material that is purchased is fabricated within shops on Du Pont plants, is installed, and eventually is removed. Removal of old insulation as in demolition may present a risk of encountering types of asbestos that are not commonly used today, including crocidolite which is acknowledged to be par ticularly dangerous with respect to the causation of meso thelioma (a type of cancer). Besides its use in insulating material, asbestos is also purchased and used as an additive material to perform special functions in some products. Attendance at the Conference will not be limited in numbers provided you will inform us in advance of the numbers from your department who will attend so that arrangements may be made. It is anticipated that there will be some expenses involved in arranging the Conference and in obtaining the best possible scientists for the program. Haskell Laboratory will have to ask that the costs be borne by the departments sending participants in a manner similar to the registration fees for any professional conference. 00 1 DUP 0901340