Document QXb106X8n2kVqjLoBv2nnJpLo

May 31, 1944 Mr. U. E. Bowes Dlreotor of Resezroh RE: v/enc-Illlnole Glass Company Toledo, Ohio Hydrous Oalclun Silicate Anlcal Experiments Dear Mr. Bowes: ' . I an only just now in a position to subol-t a final report on the results of our animal assay of the physiological effects of*your product designated "Hydrous Calcium Silicate". * . As received the material vas too coarse for anlnal in jection tests. After further reduction In sloe it proved to be quito toxlo when injected into guinea pigs so that it vse.necessary to re peat many of the tests. However, enough aninals survived for a suf ficient period so that the general characteristics of the ticcue rcec^l^r could be evaluated. Such reaction had none of the appearances of a silicosis but did resemble aobestoal3. . One would conclude that if the dust of this roatcrlsl vert* ground sufficiently fin* to be inhaled in appreciable quantities it would probably produce a pulmonary disease simulating asbectosis. Hcvever, the appended data indicate that in the Ganples submitted the particle sloe of the components was such that inhalation of west of the components would* be difficult. You are in a better position than ve to know whether these samples are representative of the air-borne duct In your plant. In ny opinion the dust of this ''hydrous calcium silicate'' is potentially dangerous If in processing the naterial the particle size i3 reduced considerably below that in the sacples aub.uitted. The appended report oontains details of the physical and cheaical characteristics of the dust samples and of the animal testE made to test ito physiological aotlvity. ' I enclose a statement for our services. Very truly yours, ' ;* Leroy U. Gardner, M. D. Dlreotor ` LUOsRH ' * P. S. If you oould refer ne to any literature on the effects of water a. asbestos and ito subsequent relation it would be appreciated. "XCERPT FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE RHODE ISLAND INDUSTRIAL HEALTH INSTITUTE PROVIDENCE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1943 (AFTERNOON SESSION) ' -- W. ~G. HAZARD---------------------- -------------------------------------------- - P. A. InduBtriaf Hygiene Engineer (R), V.S.R.B. S. /. As Dr. Deery* stated in his announcement of this meeting, "The manufacture and processing of Fiber- gi&s is a new industry in Rhode Island. The finished product is bandied by multitudes of workers in many plants throughout the state and nation. Its war time use is of national importance, and it is destined to become a common substance in the lives of all of us." . When any such new material is launched, it falls on the manufacturer, the consumer and the 6tate to ascertain what, if any, are the health hazards asso> ted with its use, and how it can be manufactured . applied in safety. Fortunately, aueh an investi gation of Fiberglas has been underway since the .arly days of its commercial distribution. The facts are now at hand; what's needed is their widespread dissemination. Dr. Walter J. Siebert of St. Louis reported In Industrial Medicine for January, 1942, that he had looked at the wrists, arms, ankles and other sueh areas of 200 employees of the plant which was manufacturing Fiberglas. He examined aerial micro scopic sections. He concluded: "Contact with flsu wool may cause ephemeral discomfort among workers inexperienced in handling the material. The skin irritation, however, cannot be regarded as a progressive dermatitis for it is non toxic and usually disappears in a few day*." Dr. Louis Schwartz reporting in Industrial Medicine tor March, 1943, on "Skin Hazards in the Manufac ture of Glass Woo) and Thread** said: "Workers handling glass fibre la textile manufactaring may develop dermatitis from the mechanical cutting edtion of the fibers on the akin... Some new employee^ experience senritiyity to handling the glass fibers for a few days, but an immunity seems to develop quickly, so thst the great majority of ex perienced workers prefer to work without gloves or special clothing." ' This afternoon Dr. Sulzberger* has reported on tematic, controlled experiments---not only on ania, but on men and women, where the exposure, I>--MmUPk. . D*arr. MJ>. M4iul Dkwwt M * Iffim. S. L 'Him a SaUfe'v*. MJU Cm*. (WO O.S.NX. * Nwta fc. * L. NJ. vitk fc* **> ---- M Uxtbq. 0,-v MS.. H.S.S.. "Tk# Cf*M m *! (< Mmmb WJ. pp. 4CJ4M. fe I4mmin4 Vt. XI. K- IS that is, the opportunity, for acquiring a skin ailment was greater even than among workers in the plant where the product is fabricated. Dr. Sulzberger found: "All of the reactions observed were of a transitory and tvperficiei nature. . . The pieces of material which were seen sticking into the akin after rubbing with Fiberglas in its wool-like form appeared to be very superficially imbedded. Ordinary washing with water easily removed a large part of them." ' Mr. Durkan* has reported on animal experiments conducted by him and Dr. Gardner4 in which animals lived in a dust room for several hours a day over a period of months exposed to as high a concentration of air-borne glass wool dust as could be obtained. No hazard to the lungs was found. These experi ments carry conviction, for the technic was one which has been developed by Dr. Gardner, Mr. Dur kan and their associates through recent years to a point of great reliability in predicting lung damage, or absence of it, in humans. ' Knowing these facts, the job for the plant phy sician and personnel director is to satisfy the pos sible anxieties of workers who handle this material. This is often no small task. Indeed, it is sometimes resisted because today a few people are eager to imagine a health injury which can be used as a prod for getting some gain of a totally unrelated nature. People have a horror of being injured by glass. It seems deep rooted. When we cut ourselves with a penknife, we think only of the bleeding wound, but when we run afoul of a broken window pane, we think first of the injury and then of the fact that glass caused it Is the last war some of you may re call that enemy spies were said to be sabotaging the home front by mixing peanut. butter with ground glass. So serious was this that some able expenmenters in Richmond fed animals, and then them selves, ground glass diets to see what would happen. Nothing happened, except in -the case of the dogs where there was a slight reddening of the intestinal tract. The men lived--and the speaker heard first hand their interesting story years later. No authen ticated case of poisoning from eating glass among *TUm M. Mu. CkW# CVuta*. TU S<rtiM UWmry. U. C*r4*r. TV* Smm* tilinurr