Document VjJ5NLBNzBwdQMy5b58LjZ498

vol. _? December. 1945 No. 12 X-flay Diffraction Laboratory .Established Announcement is made of the establishment of a Department of Research in Chemical Physics at Mellon Institute which will be available to Industrial Hygiene Foundation ana further augment the Foundations services to member companies in juaintaining good physical working conditions. This new division includes x-ray diffraction equipment which is essential for the accurate evaluation of factory dusts inasmuch as this method is more dependable than the older chemical or petro graphic methods. Dr* Harold P. Klug, formerly of the University of Minnesota, heads the new department and will serve as a consultant to the Foundation. The new laboratory is located on the same floor as the Foundation in the Institute. The availability of facilities for x-ray diffraction analyses is another important development in the Foundation's work of refining the measurement of dust hazards in the workplace. The I-H-F Composition Sampler permits the Staff to rapidly collect large dust samples from factory air for composition analyses. All dust samples are separated into portions above and below five microns to gain more accurate knowledge of the concentration which workmen may actually breathe. Coming Publications * The Transactions of the Management Section of the program for the Tenth Annual Meeting will be sent to member companies in the near future. Practically all the papers presented at the annual meeting are now set in type and the pro ceedings, in four parts, will be published as rapidly as possible. The Management Section will be followed by the Veterans Panel discussion. Meanwhile, a summary covering highlights of the .Engineering Conference, held here on November 13, the day prior to the opening of the annual meeting, will be sent to member companies in a few days. Industrial Health Codes The Ohio State Health Department recently announced a proposed code on industrial health and toxicity which contains "maximum allowable concentrations" for a long list of gases, vapors, dusts and fumes. Copies of the proposed code are available to Members upon request. A somewhat similar code was recently adopted in Oregon and such regulations are under consideration or have been recently enacted in several other States. Trustees Meeting: A meeting of the Foundation's Board of:Truatees vail be held late in January. tstr- .^ustri 1 Hygiene Digest 10 December, 1945 pericarditis wus found. It is believed the silica particles found their way into the pericardial cavity through the small superficial lymphatic channels of communication between the pericardial ?nd pleural cavities. The fact that the firmest attachments were at the site of the densest pleuro-perica.rdial ad hesions, at which point the pleura and both viscer'l rnd parietal pericardium were as one, was the major evidence in favor of this view. -- J.I.H.&T. $8 Silicosis - Its Prevention and Treatment. D.A. MacGregor. 1IT. Vs. Med. J., 41, 25 pp. (Sept., 1345} The paper is a general discussion of silicosis, including a summary of recent work on aluminum therapy and aluminum prophylaxis. *3 Paligorskite. a Possible Asbestos Substitute. R.B. Fisher, R.L. Thome and C. Van Cott. U.S. Bur. Mines, Inf, Circ. No. 7515, 5 pp. (Mar., 1945) Paligorskite is probably variety of asbestos usually termed mountain leather. A deposit of paligorskite has been found on rn Alaskan island, ~nd it may find a number of uses if present in sufficient quantity. ;40 gome New Aspects and Approaches to the Problem of Dust Diseases. C.U. Demehl and C.A. Nau. Tex's Bepts. on Biology rnd Med., Z, 227-257 (Summer, 1345); j Ind. Med., 14, 744-754 (Sept., 1945) The authors review progress on dust disease during the past few years, includ ing (1) evidence from several sources refuting the silice solubility theory of silicosis; (2) aluminum therapy; (5) pulmonary lesions produced by cotton dust; (4) welders' sidorosis. A dust exposure apparatus is described by means of which it has been shown that antimony trioxide is many times more toxic when inhaled ns when administered intraperitoneally. Their experiments will be re ported later in gra- ter detail. .'41 Health and Environmental Conditions in the Iron Industry. G.F. Kentinge end N.M. Potter, Brit. J. Ind. Med., 2, 125-141 (July, 1945) j A brief description is given of modern iron-founding methods. Environmental 5 studies were carried out in two foundries employing over 200 workers. These j studies included a survey of ventilation snd heating, and the dust hazard. To assess the dust hazard in a foundry knowledge is required of (a) the dust con centration in the work atmosphere, (b) the duration of work spells, (c) the chemical composition of inhaled dust, and (d) its pnrticle-size frequency. It ; is shown that fettlers of medium ?:nd large castings hove the dustiest occupa? tion in the foundry, and the dust here consists largely of silicc particles, j It is estimated that the silica hazard of the fettler of large castings is i fifty times that of a worker in the general body of the foundry; medium fettling | has a nine times greater hazard; snd pneumatic mould-filling five times greater; workers in the core shop have the least exposure. The simplest -ray to maintain * routine control of atmospheric pollution in a foundry is by mass concentration ' estimation of rir-borne dust at breathing height* Sickness and accident rates ' among foundry workers as compared with those in the constructional department showed that: (1) the number of cases of respiratory disease was less although j the average number of days lost per case was higher, and while some lungs * showed evidence of "dust change" there was no case of silicosis; (2) skin afl fections were greater, *lth the most dermatitis among the core workers; (?) the I incidence of rheumatic disease was greater; (4) accidents causing injury were j fewer snd caused less lost time; rnd (5) among foundryroen heat cramps are unj common but not unknown. Preventive measures against accident rnd ill-health are (a) pre-employment medical examination, including chest X-ray; (b) improve ment of ventilation by modern construction methods; (c) proper cloak-room, washing and bathing facilities; (d) attention to floors; (e) by adequate pro tective equipment for the individual worker; and (f) prevention of fumes and VoU-5 December. 19X5 No, 12 X-fiay Diffraction Laboratory Established Announcement is made of the establishment of a Department of desearch in Chemical Physics at itiellon Institute which will be available to Industrial Hygiene Foundation ana further augment the Foundations services to member companies in juaintaining good physical working conditions* This new division includes x-ray diffraction equipment which is essential for the accurate evaluation of factory dusts inasmuch as this method is more dependable than the older chemical or petro graphic methods. Dr* Harold P. Klug, formerly of the University of Minnesota, heads the new department and will serve as a consultant to the Foundation. The new laboratory is located on the same floor as the Foundation in the Institute. The availability of facilities for x-ray diffraction analyses is another important development in the Foundations work of refining the measurement of dust hazards in the workplace. The I-H-F Composition Sampler permits the Staff to rapidly collect large dust samples from factory air for composition analyses. All dust samples are separated into portions above and below five microns to gain more accurate knowledge of the concentration which workmen may actually breathe. Coming Publications ` The Transactions of the Management Section of the program for the Tenth Annual Meeting will be sent to member companies in the near future. Practically all the papers presented at the annual meeting are now set in type and the pro ceedings, in four parts, will be published as rapidly as possible* The Management Section will be followed by the Veterans Panel discussion. Meanwhile, a summary covering highlights of the Engineering Conference, held here on November 13, the day prior to the opening of the annual meeting, will be sent to member companies in a few days. Industrial Health Codes The Ohio State Health Department recently announced a proposed code on industrial health ana toxicity which contains "maximum allowable concentrations" for a long list of gases, vapors, dusts and fumes. Copies of the proposed code are available to Members upon request. A somewhat similar code was recently adopted in Oregon and such regulations are under consideration or have been recently enacted in several other States. Trustees Meeting: A meeting of the Foundations Bpard of-'-TruStfees will be held late in January. V*r.-` / t j^istrinl Hygiene Digest - 10 December, 1945 pericarditis vr^s found. It is believed the silica particles found their way into the pericardial cavity through the small superficial lymphatic channels of communication between the pericardial ?nd pleural cavities. The fact that the firmest attachments were at the site of the densest pleuro-pericardial ad hesions, at which point the pleura and both viscer'l 'nd parietal pericardium were rs one, was the major evidence in favor of this view. -- J.I.H.&T. $3 Silicosis - Its Prevention and Treatment. D.A. MacGregor. v' Va. Med. J., 41, -25 pp. (Sept., 1945) The paper is a general discussion of silicosis, including n. summary of recent work on aluminum therapy end aluminum prophylaxis. ;*9 Paligorskite. a Possible Asbestos Substitute. R.B. Fisher, R.L. Thorne and C. Van Cott. U.S. Bur. Mines, Inf. Circ. Ho. 7515, 5 pp. (Mar,, 1945) Paligorskite is probably a variety of asbestos usually termed mountain leather. A deposit of paligorskite has been found on an Alaskan island, ^nd it may find ? number of uses if present 5.n sufficient quantity. ;40 Some New Aspects r.nd Approaches to the Problem of Dust Diseases. C.U. Dernehl and C.A. Nau. Texas Repts. on Biology rnd Med., J5, 227-257 (Summer, 1345); { Ind,, Med., 14, 744-7S4 (Sept., 1945) Ifce authors revie?/ progress on dust disease during the past few years, includ ing (l) evidence from several sources refuting the silica solubility theory of silicosis; (2) aluminum therapy; (5) pulmonary lesions produced by cotton dust; (4) welders1 sidcrosis* A dust exposure apparatus is described by means of rhich it has been shown that antimony trioxide is many times more toxic when inhaled ns when administered intraperitoneally. Their experiments will be re ported later in gro- ter detail. .41 Health and Environmental Conditions in the Iron Industry. G.F. Keatings and N.M. Potter. Brit. J. Ir*d. Med., Z9 125-141 (July, 1945) j A brief description is given of modern iron-founding methods. Environmental studies were carried out in two foundries employing over 200 workers. Those studies included a survey of ventilation and heating, and the dust hazard. To assess the dust hazard in a foundry knowledge is required of (a) the dust con centration in the work atmosphere, (b) the duration of work spells, (c) the chemical composition of inhaled dust, rnd (d) its particle-size frequency. It ` is shown that fettlers of medium and large castings hove the dustiest occupa- * tion in the foundry, and the dust hare consists largely of silica particles, i It is estimated that the silica- hazard of the fettler of large castings is j fifty times that of a worker in the general body of the foundry; medium fettling { has a nine times greater hazard; end pneumatic mould-filling five times greater; workers in the core shop have the least exposure. The simplest way to maintain * routine control of atmospheric pollution in r. foundry is by- mass concentration ; estimation of 'ir-borne dust at breathing height. Sickness and accident rates * among foundry workers as compared ;-ith those in the constructional department j showed that: (1) the number of cases of respiratory disease rae less although j the average number of days lost per case was higher, *nd while some lungs \ showed evidence of "dust change" there was no ense of silicosis; (2) skin ?f- S fections were greater, "ith the most dermatitis among the core workers; (?) the incidence o rheumatic disease was greater; (4) accidents causing injury were fewer and caused less lost time; and (5) among foundryoen heat cramps are un common but not unknown. Preventive measures against accident <*nd ill-health are (a) pre-employment medical examination, including chest X-ray; (b) improve ment of ventilation by modern construction methods; (c) proper cloak-room, washing and bathing facilities; (d) attention to floors; (e) by adequate pro tective equipment for the individual worker; and (f) prevention of fumes and