Document NzbB9YR00kbkRnDXN5R17b1b

FILE NAME: Newspaper & Magazine Articles (NMA) DATE: 1967 Dec 12 DOC#: NMA007 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Nashville Tennessean - Asbestos Pipe, Cancer Tie Hit NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN DECEMBER 12, 1967 > 7 Asbestos Pipe, CaiicerJieHit By JIM SQUIRES Stall Correspondent NEW YORK - There Is no evidence to support a recent Statement by a Nashville doc* tor that use of asbestos--ce ment water pipe might cause cancer, a noted cancer re searcher said here yesterday. Dr. George Wright, chair man of The Institute for Oc cupational and Environmental Health, said he did not think ; such a relationship "will ever : be established." WRIGHT, HEAD of the de partment of medical research in internal medicine at SU Luke's Hospital In Cleveland, Ohio, said a letter from Dr. Jam es Snell, an assistant pro fessor at Vanderbilt Univer sity school of medicine, sug gesting such a relationship "apparently arises out of an Incomplete perspective" of the problem. Wright spoke to nine Metro i councilmcn here to tour a* : Johns-Manville plant in New* ark, N.J., a manufacturer of asbestos-cement pipe. Snell sent a letter last month to Metro waterworks director Robert L. Lawrence supporting Lawrence's deci sion to prohibit asbestor-cc- (Tum to ra g e 12, Column t ) - Asfestas Pipe, Cancer Tie Hit (Continued From Page One) ment manufacturers from bid ding on Metro walcrpipc pur chases. The council committee on Eurchasing had suggested that awrcncc allow asbestos-ecment manufacturers to bid be cause the product is less ex pensive than the east iron pipe now being used. SNELIi WROTE that asbes tos is a known cause of can cer a n d can contaminate drinking water. The physician said he did not believe this fact had been brought to the attention of the U.S. Public Health Service. Wright, an adviser to the U.S. Public ` Health Service, said the asbestos-cement pipe industry had long been aware of a link between certain types of asbestos fibers and lung cancer and with Me sothelioma, a rare malignant tumor found on the lung cov ering and the gastrointestinal tract. He pointed out. however, that asbestosis (a lung tissue disease) and lung cancer arc caused only by inhalation of certain asbestos fibers in large amounts and over long periods nf time. MESOTHELIOMA, he said, has never been linked posi tive!)* w i t h s w a l l o w e d amounts of asbestos and is "extremely rare." "Evidence of research indi cates that virtually everyone is exposed to asbestos fibers," he said. " In fact, it would ap pear reasonable to assume that there is no such thing as not having been' exposed. It mere exposure is a cause, we would ail have it." Wright cited widespread use cf asbestos fibers i n ' insula tion. electrical wiring and stove-ovens and toasters. ' . ' I 7 "THERE 1ST A great tip- swing-in the use of asbestos fiber, but the incidence of ** cancer has actually fallen off." Wright said. Wright said asbestos-cement pipe, consisting of 20?i as- bcslos fiber, has b ee n ' in water systems in some areas for as tong as 30 years. In many instances, he s a I d, there is' no evidence of wear in these pipes to release as bestos fiber. "After this many years of experience, if these fibers were to be a source of Meso thelioma -- a dramatic tumor -- It would be known," Wright stated. "THIS WOULD not escape. This is not a new' point of in terest to the industry." he added. - Wright said manufacturers of asbestos products were among the first to discover its possible biological effects and have spent " millions of dollars" in the field. The doctor said he is pre paring a written answer to Snell's statement. " t don't know Snell or his background in this area." Wright said, " but no doctor is knowledgeable in ail areas. . I have spent much of my life `..in this field, and even I am V .not." SNELL WROTE Lawrence Nov. 14. stating he would consider the use of asbestoscement pipe " a medical haz ard of significant degree" un til the UJS. Public Health Ser vice had checked it out com pletely. Officials of the Johns-Man ville Co., asked about tins yes terday, said the Public Health * Service is among its custo mers. " We have sold them thou sands of feet of pipe," said -Jay Baker, product manager. " I feel certain we will sell them much more." THE COUNCILMEN a r c scheduled to tour the manu facturing plant and ftsearch center today. The company claims its product wilt save Metro $300,000 a year on pipe purchases.