Document R22jdxX25G7ygkBpEyok1Nm0X

Asbestos and Health QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Much has been printed and said about asbestos and health, much of it inaccurate, misleading or completely false. Some of the more prevalent of these fallacies are discussed in a question and answer format in the following pages. QUESTION Is asbestos a major air and water pollutant in our society? ANSWER Asbestos exists naturally in small though detectable amounts in serpentine rock formations throughout the world and is constantly being released into the atmosphere through erosion by wind and water. Asbestos is thus natural to our environment, and -- as analysis of dated ice from the polar caps have revealed -- has been for thousands or even millions of years. Man therefore probably evolved into his present form in an atmosphere containing a natural background level of asbestos -- both in the air he breathed and in the water he drank. While precise comparisons are impossible, today's atmospheric levels of asbestos, even in urban settings, are still only marginally higher than in the distant past and are many thousands of times lower than any levels known to result in disease in occupational settings. . There is no indication that levels of asbestos in community air and water have been increased significantly by modern uses of asbestos. The only exceptions that have been found were in the past in environments close to manufacturing and mining facilities, and in applications where simple controls were not implemented -- such as unrestricted spraying of asbestos fireproofing in construction. These emissions are currently under control, in accordance with federal, state and local standards that are designed to help keep asbestos in ambient air everywhere at levels that are not injurious to health. QUESTION Do asbestos-containing brake linings used on trucks, busses and automobiles release harmful amounts of asbestos dust into community air? ANSWER Brake linings used in transportation vehicles contain up to 55 percent asbestos fiber, but this fiber is locked into the linings with various resins and polymers. When brakes are applied, enormous amounts of heat are generated, which changes the chemical nature of the asbestos in the lining, thus producing a non-fibrous, non-toxic material called fosterite. Studies conducted in the United States and Great Britain have shown that brake lining dust contains only traces (one to three percent) of free asbestos fiber. In fact, the total amount of free fiber released by brake lining wear throughout the United States in an entire year is less than 20% of the total emissions of particulate matter in a city the size of Los Angeles in a single day! In addition, tests conducted in New York City at specially selected locations where traffic is heavy and braking frequent have shown that asbestos dust levels are only marginally higher than normal background levels, and many thousands of times lower than levels which could be considered potentially hazardous. QUESTION Is asbestos used in the manufacture of clothing worn by the general public? . ANSWER In 1971, a clothing manufacturer imported cloth from Italy that contained 8 percent asbestos fiber and was used to make 200,000 women's overcoats. An emotional outcry resulted, but Food & Drug Administration tests showed that the amount of asbestos dust which could be generated from such a coat, even under extreme conditions, would not pose a health hazard to the wearer of the coat. The FDA, ne' such "general us< constituted an " which none of the to the welfare Information Asso Garments in utilized, such as etc., were not ba are "locked in" means. Will there mesothelioma in States shipyards Despite the | appears highly i Predictions of t experience of wc where a relative been reported ar directly with k There are seve make the Britisl shipyards. Thes> 1. The prii insulations ab( notoriously dur ing spraying in 1500 fibers per the current U Counts taken debris have re. cc (more than very high dust 2. Spray application methods were never used in United States shipyards during the Second World War. The alternative methods used in this country, while creating dusty conditions for the men doing the actual work, did. not result in hazardous conditions throughout the yard, as was the case in Great Britain. 3. The type of asbestos fiber most used in British shipyards for insulation purposes was crocidolite, the variety of fiber most medical experts agree is the most likely to cause mesothelioma. Crocidolite was not used in U.S. shipyard work. 4. The actual number of shipyard mesothelioma cases reported in Great Britain, while of great concern, cannot be considered of "epidemic" proportions. In the Scotish yards, for example, 49 cases have been reported in the 18 year period ending in 1967. 5. Millions of men were employed in United States and British shipyards during the First World War and in the intervening years down to World War II. Asbestos insulations were used extensively during this period. The practices employed for the application of these insulations were similar, if not dustier, than those used in U.S. yards during World War II, yet no "epidemic" of mesothelioma occurred as a result of these exposures. If thousands of cases had developed, this disease would certainly have come to the attention of asbestoshealth experts much earlier than it did (early 1960s). This is not to say that a few cases of mesothelioma will not develop among indirectly exposed United States shipyard workers, however the printed medical and exposure data does not support the prediction that a hundred thousand or more will die as a result of their World War II exposures. QUESTION Are cosmetic talcum powders, including baby powders, contaminated by excessive amounts of asbestos fibers? A form of asbes all talcum powder, s in talc stone. In son use, the percentage powders, however, i been found to be v< Product Technology showed that, of 40 c contained one perce: retested for traces.' quoted in some news Do asbestos-coi fibers in potentially wines, soft drinks public? Asbestos-cellulo filtration of liquids filter pads play an : the taste of certain toxic substances production of many would be virtually containing filter me' While is is poE microscope sized beverages from the is no evidence what released constitute. This same ques ago with regard to died When it was sf found in British bee ounce in the total United Kingdom beer production of over a thousand-million gallons a year. In addition, a concensus report from a 1972 international meeting on asbestos-health sponsored by the World Health Organization found no ``evidence of an increased risk of cancer resulting from asbestos fibers present in water, beverages, food or in the fluids used for the administration of drugs." QUESTION Is the atmosphere being polluted by asbestos sprays used to fireproof the superstructure of buildings under construction? ANSWER The use of asbestos-containing, spray-on fireproofing compounds in high-rise building construction has been banned in the United States by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because the methods developed for the control of emissions of fiber from these sources proved to be ineffective. Once this fact became established, the asbestos manufacturing industry concurred with the EPA that the use of spray fireproofing compounds should be prohibited. QUESTION Are asbestos-containing modeling compounds still being used by school children in art classes in the United States? ANSWER From time to time, a newspaper will carry a report, that children in a local school or YWCA are using asbestos as a modeling compound to construct puppets or sculpt heads. This normally results in excited denunciations by local politicians and others, who demand that the practice be stopped. Simply speaking, the asbestos industry agrees with them - the practice should be stopped: In November 1.971. the Asbestos Information Association sent a caution letter on this subject to nearly 5,000 teachers associations, hobby and craft publications, state boards of education, boy an etc. This letter sai "It has come 1 youth activity grot substitute for mod "We feel str discontinued. Alt! exposed are prob health, we do k occupational settii "For this rea; asbestos for hobby As a result of many of the group of asbestos. When practice has not warning are sent t 1 ction of over a '2 international World Health 1 risk of cancer averages, food ?s." sprays used to instruction? n fireproofing been banned in ital Protection for the control proved to be the asbestos that the use of d. i ds still being 1 1 States? a report that asbestos as a pt heads. This cal politicians cpped. Simply them -- the n Association i.000 teachers ite boards of 1 education, boy and girl scout councils, YMCA's and YWCA's, etc. This letter said in part: "It has come to our attention that on occasion the leaders of. youth activity groups have used asbestos fiber as an inexpensive substitute for modeling clay and papier-mache. "We feel strongly that this use of asbestos should be discontinued. Although the levels to which children may be exposed are probably very small and present no hazard to health, we do know that heavy exposure to asbestos in occupational settings can be a cause of illness. "For this reason we feel that it is prudent that the use of asbestos for hobby purposes be eliminated." As a result of this letter, appropriate steps were taken by many of the groups contacted to discontinue this particular use of asbestos. When the Association learns of instances where this practice has not been discontinued, appropriate letters of warning are sent to the parties involved. / 7 VPD-148-0000327