Document VGerDN7vaKYMdxdJqnYoN12JZ

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1976 Nov 5 DOC TALC480 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Memo RE Environmental Problems Johns as Manville a Johns JMManville To J. H. Swensen Internal Correspondence Date November 5 1976 From R. S. Locar | Coples P. Kotin M. Fenner H. R. Keefe J. M. Sharratt E. R. Bettinardi D C Subject - Talc Environmental Problems The attached article from the Wall Street Journal Tuesday November 2 1976 page 8 Exposure of Talc Dust May be Related to Deaths of Workers Health Unit Says should be , evaluated relative to our Penhorwood talc Notice that this study was conducted among talc workers in Vermont at Johnson and Johnson Engelhard Minerals and . Chemicals Corp. and Vermont Talc Co. Although there are considerable differences among these three companies and the quality of the products they mine and produce all are virtually asbestos That is what makes this article disturbing Some of these Vermont talcs also contain relatively high concentrations of arsenic which is I believe a known carcinogen As the article states Scientists believe there may be something else in the mine environment that contributes to the cancer deaths other than the talc itself Attached also is W. H. Ashton at J & copy of J and a my letter of April 22 1976 to ' copy of the paper by Giovanni F. Rubino et.al. Mortality Study of Talc Miners and Millers Vol 18 Medicine from Journal of Occupational No. 3 pp 186-193 This paper March 1976 clearly demonstrates that pure talc mineral is not a carcinogen and cannot in any way be related to the containing talcs from upper New York State I believe that comments from Paul Kotin and Ed Fenner would be helpful R. S. Lamar ib | Attachments all copies - . | CRMC