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FILE NAME Manville JMA DATE 1970 DOC JMA050 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Report - Asbestosis Research Council 14th Annual Report 7/6/98 Asbestos Research Council 14th Annual Report Asbestos Research Council established a foundation at Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh in 1971 headed by Dr. D.C.F. Muir p 4 and last page Appendix " From 14th annual report of ARC 5241 ASBESTOSIS RESEARCH COUNCIL FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS BEGINNING 1st OCTOBER 1970 INTRODUCTION The Asbestosis Research Council was established on the 1st October 1957. This report details the activities sponsored by the Council during the fourteenth year of its operation CONSTITUTION The Constitution was revised in August 1965 to extend the field of activities to asbestos operations other than textile and to provide for the admission of Associate Members as Full Members and again in November 1968 to cover the well as activities of the Environmental Control Committee MEMBERSHIP The Membership of the Council during the year was as follows Full Members B.B.A. Group Limited The Cape Asbestos Company Turner & Newall Limited Limited Home Associate Members The Atlas Stone Company Limited ' Bell's Asbestos and Engineering Limited Carlson Limited Richard Klinger Limited Overseas Associate Members James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd. Manville Corporation The Quebec Asbestos Mining The Griqualand Exploration Eternit S.A. Belgium Association & Finance Co. Ltd. COMMITTEES The affairs of the Council were Committees the Management Committee the Environmental Control Committee committees during the year was : administered by three the Research Committee and The membership of these a Management Committee Chairman Secretary - Mr. D.W. Hills - Mr. J.K. Shepherd - Mr. C.M. Fenton - Dr. C.G. Addingley -- Dr. R. Gaze Mr. G.A. Higham = =a Dr. S. Holmes Turner & Newell Ltd. Turner & Newall Ltd. BBA Group Ltd. BBA Group Ltd. The Cape Asbestos Co. The Cape Asbestos Co. Turner & Newall Ltd. Ltd. Ltd. After five years as Chairman Mr. R.H. Management Committee of the Council in being taken by Mr. G.A. Higham Dent resigned October 1970 from the his place Management Committee meetings were held as follows London Edinburgh ~ 15th October 1970 6th April 1971 b Research Committee Chairman - Secretary - - Dr. W.J. Smither = Dr. Dr. Mr. A. A. Hodgson - W.H.A. Beverley- R. Hunt = Mr. R.A. Wells = Dr. H.C. Lewinsohn Dr. S. Holmes - The Cape Asbestos Co. The Gape Asbestos Co. RRA Group 4 BBA Group Ltd. Turner & NowelNowlell Ltd. Burner & Newall Ltd. Turner & Newall Ltd. Ltd. Ltd. Research Committee Meetings wore held as follows - Edinburgh Rochdale Cleckheaton Uxbridge Environmental Control Committee 20th January 1971 - 21st April 1971 = 7th July 1971 2 14th September 1971 Chairman Secretary - Mr. A.A. Cross - Mr. W.P. Bamblin = Mr. M.L. Bentley 20 Dr. S. Holmes = Mr. R. Pelham G Mr. K.G. Verrill Mr. R.W. Whittoll -- - Miss H.M. Senneck The Cape Asbestos Co. Turner & Newall Ltd. BBA Group Ltd. Turner & Newall Ltd. The BBA BBA The Cape Asbestos Group Ltd. Group Ltd. Cape Asbestos Co. Co. Ltd. Ltd. Ltd. Environmental Control Committee Meetings were held as follows Rochdale Mancheste o 22nd April - 212 September 1971 FINANCE a Banking Arrangements The finances of the Council have continued to be administered through accounts operated by the National Westminster Bank Town Hall Square Rochdale b Budget and Expenditure Council Budget 28632.00 Expenditure 18649.89 LIAISON WITH OTHER INTERESTED BODIES Contact has been maintained with the Department of Employment Medical Services and Factory Inspectorate The Council has collaborated in formulating the arrangements for a scheme for the medical surveillance of asbestos workers Unit Liaison has continued with the Pneumoconiosis Research of the Medical Research Council The Council has continued to be represented on the British Occupational Hygiene Society Committee concerned with hygiene standards for asbestos dust No change has been recommended for the present in the standard for chrysotile and a separate standard for amosite cannot yet be formulated Exchange of scientific and technical information bas continued with the Pneumoconiosis Research Unit of the South African Institute for Medical Research in Johannesburg Liaison has continued with the U.S. and with the Air Hygiene Committee of the Institute Public Health Service Asbestos Textile RESEARCH PROGRAMME A summary of the year's work is given below Full reports appear in Appendices 2 to 8. It should be emphasised that these detailed reports represent the individual views of the research workers and not necessarily the official view of the Council Inhalation experiments involving ernosure of guinea pigs and rats to crocidolite and chrysotile have continued Experiments with crocidolite blue asbestos from the North West Cape and from the Transvaal revealed some important differences but were not conclusive Experiments using chrysotile asbestos with different modified surfaces have shown in particular that if the asbestos is coated with alkyl pyridene oxide it is removed appears to much more rapidly be more effective from the lung in this respect The than monomer the associated polymer 4 Wear dust from brake linings and chrysotile duct heated to various temperatures have been tested by intrapleural injection in mice dust and Minimal there was tissue little reaction reaction was produced by the brake lining also to the healed chrysotile provided that this also was in finely divided form Little work was possible on human mesothelioma structure continued difficulty in obtaining biopsy material but a total twelve tumours has now been seen in mice and guinea pigs 300 after intrapleural injection of asbestos due to of animals Rats Animal experiments on the ingestion observed over twelve months have so of asbestos have continued far shown no tumours from crocidolite blue asbestos from either the Transvaal or the North- West Cape A residual group of rats from an earlier experiment on chrysotile was sacrificed but no visceral or pulmonary tumours were found Work on the surface chemistry of asbestos has continued The leaching of the constituent crocidolite when immersed in The adsorption properties of elements of chrysotile amosate and water for long periods has been studied the leached material has also been investigated Following a pilot study carried out last year an electron microscope technique has developed for the estimation of chrysotile asbestos in the general atmosphere where the quantities have been found to be too small for ray diffractometry Tests in the vicinity of factories and in urban and rural environments have been carried out It is reassuring to report that the quantities of chrysotile present in such circumstances is generally less than 10-9 10-9 near to the lower limit of detection of the most sensatire modera m m instruments An investigation designed to relate Jung function measurements in guinea pigs exposed to asbestos dust to the histological changes observed has commenced at the University of Manchester A new immunology study commenced during Hospital Bradford basoe n td he examination dust on blood sera and sputum proteins the year at St. St. Luks's LuksLuks''s s Luks's Luks's of the effect of asbestos asbestos THE ASBESTOSIS RESEARCH COUNCIL FOUNDATION The means of Council had for making the best some time past been giving consideration to use of its resources available for research work and it was decided that this work should be concentrated as far as possible between the in one establishment to ensure interchange of ideas research workers and fertilisation between the different disciplines involved By arrangement with the National Coal Board an Asbestosis Research Council Foundation was therefore established within the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh The Foundation came into being in April 1971 and it is intended that it shall be built up over a three year period as the Council's outside commitments are wound up Dr. D.C.F. Muir of the Institute staff has been appointed Head of the Foundation and a preliminary report is given in Appendix 9 10 11 12 -5 - METHODS OF DUST SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS This work has continued to be progressed by a Working Group of the Research Committee A guide to sampling techniques for use with the Asbestos Regulations A.R.C. Technical Note 2 was published in March 1971 The method of sampling by membrane filter developed by the Council has been recommended by the Working Group on Dust Measurement of the Asbestosis Committee of the Permanent Commission and International Association on Occupational Health for adoption as an international standard ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL A further Control and Safety Guide Friction Materials and Resinous Reinforced Moulding Materials has been published by the Environmental Control Committee of the Council and a number of the earlier Guides have been revised A full report of the work of the Committee appears in Appendi.x PUBLICATIONS Further observations on the ultrastructure and chemistry of the formation of asbestos bodies Davis J.M.G. J.M.G. Exp Mol Path 13 356 1970 Epithelial outgrowths from lung tissue following intrapleural injection of asbestos dust in experimental experimental animals Davis J.M. Go Int J. Cancer 7 238 1971 Effect of chrysotile and acid treated macropmacrophagehage cultures Beck E. Go Holt P. E. T. Brit J. Ind Med 28 179 1971 chrysotile on F. and Nasrallah Polyvinylpyridine oxides in pneumoconiosis research Holt P. F. Brit J. Ind Med 28 72 1971 The development of glass fibre bodies in the lungs of guinea pigs Botham S. K. and Holt P. F. J. Path 103 VISITS Mr. Cross and Dr. Holmes attended the International Conference on Health and Safety in Shipbuilding and Ship Repairing held in Helsinki in August 1971 Dr. Smither and Dr. Holmes Conference on Pneumoconiosis in attended the Bucharest in IV I.L.0 September International 1971 Dr. Smither continued as Medical Consultant to the Council during the year APPENDIX1 Report of the work of the Environmental Control Committee To meet the changing needs of the work of the Committee its constituent Working Groups were reoganised during the year to become WG 1 - Process control and ventilation vacuum cleaning equipment design of buildings Regulation 13 WG 2 - Personal protection respirators and protective clothing waste disposal storage and warehousing general housekeeping WG 3 - Materials for the building and shipbuilding industries = electrical and engineering insulation WG 4 Friction materials resinous moulded materials WG 5 - Textiles Beater jointing materials millboard WG 6 175 Application and stripping of sprayed asbestos and other insulation materials Publications Heavy demand for the ARC's publications has continued publications and reprints have been produced as follows New Control and Safety Guide No. 1 - Protective Equipment in the Asbestos Industry Respiratory Equipment and Protective Clothing Revised reprint 2,000 Control and Safety Guide No. 2 - The Application of Sprayed Asbestos Coatings Revised reprint 2,000 Control and Safety Guide No. 3 - Stripping and Fitting of containing Thermal Insulation Reprint 1,000 Control and Safety Guide Asbestos Beater Reprint 500 No. 4 - Asbestos Textile Products Jointings and Asbestos Millboard Control and Safety Guide No. 5 - Asbestos Materials for the Building Industries and Electrical and Engineering Revised reprint 2,000 and Shipbuilding Insulation Insulation Control and Safety Guide No. 7 - Control of Dust by Exhaust Ventilation Reprint 1,500 Control and Safety Guide No. 8 - Asbestos Based Friction Materials and Asbestos Reinforced Resinous Moulded Materials First issue 3,500 Technical Note 1 G The Measurement of Airborne Asbestos by the Membrane Filter Method Revised reprint 3,000 Dust Technical Note 2 - Dust Sampling Procedures for Asbestos Regulations First issue 4,000 use with the Guides on vacuum cleaning equipment on cleaning procedures and methods on scaling and on repairing sprayed asbestos coatings and on the design of new buildings are under discussion or in process of publication and a Guide covering laboratorics is still under consideration As in the preparation of other Guides informal discussions were held with the Factory Inspectorate in order that the information should be in accordance with the Inspector's view General Enquiries Members of the Committee continue to receive regular requests for advice and information from asbestos manufacturing companies and users of asbestos materials In most cases these are satisfied by the supply of Control and Safety Guides Others have called for individual consideration or for visits by representatives of the ARC or of its member companies to whom such enquiries are directed when products are identified Dust Concentrations Work continues by individual Working Groups in establishing dust levels which can be regarded as typical for particular products and normal processes or operations One objective is to encourage H.M.F.I. to expand the list circulated internally to District Inspectors of asbestos materials or applications which are not considered to come within the scope of the Asbestos Regulations As a result of an enquiry from the Home Office tests were carried out by Member Companies on the emission of asbestos arising from the use of various domestic appliances These dust levels were shown to be well below the B.O.H.S. negligible level General Enquiries for and are Members of the Committee continue to receive regular requests advice and information from asbestos manufacturing companies users of asbestos materials In most cases these satisfied by the supply of Control and Safety Guades Others -3- enquiries are directed when products are identified Department of Employment The ARC's comments and suggestions for revision of the new Factory Inspectorate certificate of inspection under Regulation 3 were accepted by the Chief Inspector The work initiated by Cape Universal on the portable dust extraction units for site work has now been completed and the Factory Inspectorate has recommended units which could usefully be used in conjunction with this equipment Working Group 6 has been asked by H.M.F.I. to study and issue advice on control methods necessary for sealing repairing and dismantling sprayed asbester coatings especially those containing crocidolite blue asbestos Standard test methods for vacuum cleaners have been agreed with the Chemical Branch of the Factory Inspectorate and a list of equipment satisfying such tests is to be included in the new Guide on Vacuum Cleaning Equipment Other Government Departmerts Informal contact has been maintained with the Department of Trade with the Department of the Environment and with the Department of Health and Social Security and the Committee bas been given the opportunity to comment on departmental instructions concerning the control measures to be adopted when working with asbestos materials particularly materials used in buildings and sprayed asbestos coatings International Symmosium on Shipbuildianngd Ship Repairing The suggestion by the ARC to contribute a paper at this Symposium in Helsinki was accepted and a paper entitled entitled Practical Methods for Protection of Men Working with Asbestos Materials in Shipyards was delivered by the Chairman of the Environmental Control Committee on 31st August The poper was based on information provided by various working Groups and member companies whose products are concerned with shipbuilding and ship repairing ARC Talks 30 talks were given to safety groups and similar organisations by members of the Committee or its Working Groups APPENDIX2 Report on Research at the University of Beading Beading T Dr. P.F. Holt Several years ago it became apparent that while short term animal experiments were invaluable in that they throw light on the initiation of pathological processes by asbestos only long term experiments were likely to give results comparable with what is found in man and long term experiments must be used in the study of measures Histological sections from some of the experiments that were started in 1968 and 1969 became available during the last year and some interesting results have been obtained In particular for the first time we have produced a condition comparable to that fourd in human asbestosis The lungs are characterised by a thickened pleura and a very fine diffuse fibrosis throughout the lung Collagen develops at first in layers parallel to the pleura but later the newly formed collagen is restricted by the outer layers already present and the fibres become more and more convoluted This is exactly the picture found in silicotic nodules where concentric collagen fibres are found in early nodules but in older nodules the collagen collagen is randomly oriented This result will provide the basis for meaningful tests on the chemotherapeutic treatment of asbestosis with polymers As in silicosis dust particles have not been found among the collagen fibres the production of collagen results from the stimulation of cells in the underlying tissue by the dust and the dust particles are not pushed out with the collagen Long term experiments using crocidolite blue asbestos have shown that material from the Transvaal affects guinea pigs differently from that from North West Cape In both groups of animals therewere some early deaths shortlyafter the dust was inhaled These appear to be due to pneumonia but whether the pneumonia was caused by the dust or by an infection is not clear All the animals that inhaled the dust from North West Cape died within a few weeks but some of those that inhaled dust from the Transvaal survived for long periods A detailed histological so lethal to study rats North was made Dust from This appears to be due to West Cape did the rat being not prove able to cope with the dust without forming giant cells a phenomenon that was reported earlier Several long term experiments with chrystile are nearing completion In one experiment animals received a very small amountamount of ChrysotilChreysotile object with the remove this of determining whether it is possible completely to asbestos from the lung without damage Another group has received repeated doses of chrysotile cach inhalation period being only24 hours This experiment should show whether the effects of inhaled chrysotile alter the response to further prysotile which is inhaled later Other experiments have shom that modification of the surface of inth chrysotile for example by treatment with aced or coating organic layer way modify the response of the lun In an particular if the asbestos is coated with an olky ridine orida it is removed much more rapidly from the lung by the normal xcterive processes The result of this experiment seem quite definite lol a confirmatory experiment has been started because the recull as important 2 2 This last result has led to a study of the adsorption of various substances to the chrysotile surface The results show that polymera are less efficiently adsorbed than monomers The adsorption of alkyl pyridine oxides varies according to the nature of the alkyl group These pyridine oxides will also adsorb on to crocidolite and animal experiments will be started to determine whether the rate of removal of crocidolite from the lung is affected by the oxide in the same way as chrysotile Unsaturated pyridine oxide derivatives have adsorbed on to chrysotilo with the object of polymerising situ and so producing a permanent layer is the removal of also been the monomers in We have continued our collaboration with the Institut fur Lufthygiene in Dusseldorf as regards studies by electron microscopy of tissues from some of our experiments and the use of polymers for chemotherapeutic treatment Collaboration with Dr. Lee of Manchester University has started At Manchester lung function studies are being made on SPF guinea pigs before and after they have inhaled chrysotile dust in our experimental , dusting chamber APPENDIX 3 Report on Research at the University of Cambridgs - Dr. J. M. G. Davis Experimental Results 1 Experiments with mice to test the fibrogerde effects of minerals other than asbestos Two series of mineral dusts were injected into the pleural cavities of mice In the first series were Magnetine chromite and tale chlorite olivine pyroxene serpentine brucite In the second series were fine glass fibrfe ibre H av av diam 0.05) fine silica fibre dial 001 insulation deat three made fibros For this series two deat fitres samples were over prepared from sach mineral one with 50 ...long and the other with short long fitres fibres mostly long mostly under 5 u produced these All the samples cavity of mice tested but the size ggranulomas ranulomas in of lesions the pleural and their degree of cellularity varied considerably In the firs Jeries magnetite ohromite and chlorite prodused verysmall smasltlipentine containing few cells while climine pyroxe granulimar tale produced large very cellular granulimargranulimargranulimar cavity most of the lesions were free on the pisural lesions stipentine brusite In this series cavity and di^ not form adhesions In the case of tale hovever some adhesions were found In the second series between the lungs of experiments it and was the cheat wall found that the short fitre samples and these did produced not form small granulonas adhesions The containing containing .ng fibre few cells samples samples samples extremely however prodused extremely formed firm adhesions large between the cellular granulonas which thest contents and 2 From these results it was assumed that in the first group of appeared minerals and their particles series it chemical differences decided the sizesize of the granulomas degree of from each cellularity sunce the shape sample was quite irregula of the dust In the second that fibre length was the Important factor and longfibre dusts prodused more tissus tissus damage than short fibre samples of identical chemistry Studies on the fibrogenic brake lining dust effects of heated chrysotile and samples Brake lining dust and a series of chrysotilchryesotile samples temperatures were tested by antrapleural 400 injection varying mice The chryrotile was heated to either grinder mechanical or 1000 for one hour and then ground on a heated to 600 mechanical in 800 mortar sieved and pestle through a 250 In one series of ex priments the dust was mesh copper sie while in the second series the dust samples were uncieved The sieved dust specimens consisted almost entirely of extremely small dist particles and fibres The ursieved dust contained some long fibres anong a particles large number ofsmall no long fibres and even in the The brakelining lining dast contained plei troi microscope it wa3 difficult to fini recognisable chrysotiles , 2 3 When injected into mice the brake lining dust and the pleved chrysotile specimens all produced extremely small granulomas Those produced in response to brake dust had lining cell content indicating minimal tissustissus reaction to chrysolile while those produced in response to chrysolile were a very low the dust much more granulonas fibrosed cellular Eventually all the they were so small initially the amount of but sinne collagen produced was minimal When unsieved dust specimens were used however the specimen heated to 600 also produced quite large lesions The unsieved specimens heated to 800 and 1000 C predited lesions no larger than the correspondang sieved specimens specimens collagen When these lesions aged the large granulomas prodused by the 400 C and 600 dusts produced quite a lot of while the small granulomas produced by the 8000 and 1000 dusts produced little chrysotile produces The reason for these results is protably protably connected with the observation that long long fibre chrysotile chrysotile more fibrosia than short fibre dust When chrcyhrysostile otile beated to any temperature is ground and then erederednone of the resulting heated long specimens contain many to either 800 and 1000 is so damaged that granding fibres Then the dusts are are heated heated heated heated heated heated structure however brysovile structure the alone destroys all long fi res Previous studies have shown that normal normal chrysotile chrysotile chrysotile dustdust has thenpresent little inediate toxic effect on macrophages The The study ha... however show that dust heated to more present present then is toxic to cells This may be due to the liberation of silica at these temperatures The extremely small granulomas prodused in response lining dust may indicate that there is no health this material but inhalation experiments will be requisetdo confirm this Animal tumour studies During the year 9 more tumours of the body cavities have been found in mice and guinea pigs injected with asbestos dust This brings the total to twelve tumours out of a total of over 300 animals injected These results contrast sharply with Wagner's finding of 50 W 60 tumours in his serise of raka The reason for this difference is uncertain bat as most probably due to the fact that rats are very susceptible to tumour production The most interesting fact to emerge from the Cambridge work has tumours been that initially abdominal 9 out of cavity the 12 Since obtained were allinjections were only the intialy be intrapleural dust could have reached on the initially meant to adbominal cavity by accident and this was only found in 20 out of 300 an^nals Because 9 out of these 20 animals produced hours it seemed likely that asbestos dust was more cartiv geul in the cavity than the pleural cavity of least in no srs les used In order to test this hypotheseveral hypotheseveral hypotheseveral e of Ingelions were undertaken in which the dust was antionally placed in the abdominal cavity At this date these animals have not reached the age when tumours would be expected expected APPENDIX Report on research at St. James's Hospital Leeds - Dr. L.M. Swinburne Three groups of SPF rats were maintained on normal laboratory diet In addition two groups were fed weekly with doses of Transvaal and North West Cape crocidolite blue respectively the third group being the control These rats have been observed for 12 months There have been three natural deaths from intercurrent infection So far no tumours have been observed in either controls or asbestos fed rats but a sample will be sacrificed shortly and will be examined for asbestos residues and tumour formation The residual small group of rats from the first series Chrysotile were finally sacrificed One breast tumour wai found which is common in this strain but no visceral or pulmonary tumours ' APPENDIX 5 Report on Research at Imperial College London - Dr. J.A. Kitchener The object of the research is to establish the nature and extent chemical reactions or other chemical as distinct from of any of asbestos mechanical processes which may occur when particles minerals are in contact with lung fluids The programme has been divided into three parts - first the leaching of the minerals themselves in pure water at 37 second the possible effect of inorganic salts likely to be present in the lungs third interaction with organic compounds of biological relevance Work so far carried out has provided a reasonable amount of information on the first and second experiments are now in progress on the third part 1 Leaching When clean teazed fibres of any of the asbestos minerals chrysotile amosite or crocidolite are immersed for long periods in water at 37 small amounts of the constituent elements pass into solution If the tests are done in closed vessels the liquid slowly approaches approaches a constant composition which of course depends on the mineral used Days or even weeks are required to reach this stage The initial rate of release depends on the extent of mechanical mechanical working the fibres have received as damaged chrystallites dissolve more rapidly If on the other hand the fibres are leached in flowing water simulating dynamic conditions in the lungs the overall rate of leaching is enhanced by the continued removal of dissolved Analytical data have been reported previously considerably material The solutes detectable in solution are prin.ipally magnesium and hydroxide ions and silica both dissolved and colloidal from chrysotile Most of the relatively large amounts of Mg and commonly OH are present probably derived from traces of Trucite as an impurity in chrysotile though the and chrysotile itself will ultimately release all its leave behind a pseudomorph of silica gel Amosite Amosite more resistant to leaching only traces of magnesium and silica mostly colloidal being detectable which has the same silicate similar amounts of magnesium network as and silica amusite releases but is distinguened from it by a marked rise of pH corresponding to considerable hyrolytic release of Nat This evidently come from a cation exchange reaction No iron could be detected with crocidolite nor any reducing properties despite its high content of ferrous iron 2 Effect of inorganic salts It has been found that leached chrysotile has a weak adsorptive affinity for calcium but very little for sodium ions and neither significantly affects the release of magresium It appears that the adsorption measured originates in the silica gel left by leaching Although measurements have not been undertaken ~ 2 it seems probable that crocidolite would show appreciable cation exchange reaction with sodium and calcium from the solution whereas amosite would show relatively little as it contains no alkali metals However there seems no reason to pursue this question at present as the net over of cations between asbestos particles and the lung fluids would be small compared with the total amounts present Similarly anions such as chloride and bicarbonate present in body fluids do not appear likely to enter into any significant reaction with asbestos particles apart from buffering the pH none of the elements in asbestos minerals form strong compounds with chloride or bicarbonate ions and the surface charge on the silicates will generally be negativ aned thus repel anions Although fresh chrysotile has a positve charge this is probably due to a surface coating of brucite magnesium hydroxide which is a relatively soluble compound : after a period of leaching negatively charged salica gel must be exposed It has been found by Dr. R.J. Atkinson working in the same laboratory that leached chrysotile can adsorb small amounts of phosphate indicating the presence or some positive sites possibly ferric ions present as impurity It seems likely therefore that amosite and crocidolite which contain iron as one of their principal cations would adsorb traces of phosphate from body fluids The extent of the process would be restricted to the ferric ions available at the surface - they are analytically undectable in solution However again there seems no reason to suppose that such hypothetical adsorption of traces of phosphate would have an biological significance in asbestosis 3 Organic Compounds Silicate minerals have high energy surfaces and can adsorb many organic solutes at least up to the extent of a complete monolayer Measurements have recently been completed with two amino acids and work is now in progress with a protein serum albumin It is intended to examine also a number of other materials such as lecithin Apart from the quantity of substance adsorbed it will be relevant to examine the hydrophobic character of the surfaces in view of the suggestion that mineral particles might disrupt inner cell membranes by chemical action akin to wetting or spreading of a lipid bilayer Future Work Work at Completion of the programune outlined under paragraph 3 above Report on research to estimate the amount of chrysotile in urban air - Mr. D.V. Badami Mr. A.L. Rickards Lt Cod . Lt. d. The previous report describe thde development of an ray diffraction method to analyse airborne solids collected with a Litton high volume sampler It was concluded from calibration curves that the limit of detection of the ray diffraction technique for samples of chrysotile on membrane filters was 10-5g equivalent to 10-7 m for samples of airborne solids During the current period the limit of 10-7 mwas confirmed by adding known amounts of chrysotile to actual samples The occurrence of quartz and kaolin in typical air samples was also confirmed but no attempts made to derive quantitative estimates It has been confirmed from the ray diffraction study of samples at T.B.A. 1 col0le-ct7ed Rochdale that the chrysotile level is less than Since the observed amount of chrysotile in the environment is below the ray limit of detection work was initiated to develop & more sensitive quantitative assessment techniqueusing an electron ashing microscope A suitable technique for samples at 450 for two hours in sir was developed and a portion of the inorganic residue was examined in an electron microscope Quantitative estimates of the chrysotile content were derived by counting individual fibrils The validity of the ashing technique was demonstrated by a calibration experiment which gave a near 100 sperimen recovery A recent refinement whereby dibutyl pthalate is added to the sample before ashing to prevent rapid decomposition has established ashing as a reliable method for removing organic solids from samples Samples of airborne solids from the following analysed by the electron microscope method two sites have been a T.B.A. Rochdale factory grounds b B.I.P. Chemical Co. Ltd. Oldbury Birmingham factory grounds The choice of these two sites was determined partly for convenience and partly to avoid contact with the general public during sampling The two sites represent industrial areas one of them with a primary asbestos industry and the other without any know asbestos industry The results from the two sites were similar to each other m 10-10 being recorded for the Oldbury site as well as upwind of the 10-9 Rochdale factory and 10-9 mdownwind of the Rochdale factory A statistical appraoch to analysing A preliminary application of this method gave a 95 confidence limit the results is to the results being developed from a sample contributed by the The background level laboratory may be imposing a detection limit of the order of 10 mIt may be possible to improve this limit if it is necessary by installing a lam~-nar air flow bench Further work is planned to analyse air samples collected from a series of sampling sites whose location will depend upon discussions with members of the A.R.C. In addition to the T.B.A. Rochdale and B.I.P. Oldbury sites samples have been moorland area and obtained from two the Rochdale town other sites representing a Pennine centre The moorland samples 10-10g m were obtained from an area between Rochdale and Ripponden provisional results give a value of the order of 0.1 ng The The samples obtained from the Rochdale town centre are currently being analysed town centre at a Five major samples were collected from two sites in road intersection at the foot of a hill the The twon centre samples have a larger particulate content with masses ranging from 100-200 10mcompared with the moorland samples which range from 20-50 103m _N awe ao Report on Research at the University of Manchester 47 Prof. R. Lee This work commenced in August 1970 with the object of measuring the mechanics of respiration in the S.P.F. guinea pigs exposed to asbestos dust and relating these to the histological changes observed It was initially necessary to devise a technique to measure airways resistance and lung compliance which did not entail either anaesthetising the animal or using pleural or oesophagal tubes A new technique for measuring the total complicance of the lung and thoracic cage has been established using a plethysmograph which also measures airways resistance The first batch of guinea pigs were followed from the beginning of June 1971 They had been exposed to chrysotile asbestos dust in the Reading University Dust Chamber in late May Two were sacrificed for pathology and one in the control group which had died suddenly was also examined The lesions seen were mainly focal and centred round the small terminal bronchioles with early diffuse involvement of a alveolar walls in some places The two dusted animals were sacrificed one and two months after dusting and the severity of the lesions had increased considerably during the second month The functional tests on the guinea returned from dusting had first showed an increased resistance with a slight fall in complicance and subsequent has not yet fallen back to further reduced testing has shown that the airway resistance exposure levels and the compliance is tee . an Report on research at St. Luke's Hospital Bradford - Mr. F.G.W. Taylor Two investigations have proceeded simultaneously during the year 1 2 To examine dust might the hypothesis that evoke immunological the inhaltion of asbestos response in certain individuals ~ To characterise the proteins in sputum protein solutions and to examine the effect on these proteins of exposure to asbestos For the first study three groups of people sputum and venous blood were collected from i Ten apparently healthy individuals not at risk ii Ten hazarded individuals without fibrosis iii Ten consequential asbestotics The sputum protein solutions were prepared by subjecting part of the sputum to ultrasonic disintegration and subsequent concentration by polyacrylamide gel Microscopical analysis was also carried out on each sputum Lymphocytes isolated from the homogenised in saline by ultrasonic blood specimen by centrifuging were disintegration Part of the venous blood specimen was allowed to clot and the serum sollected after centrifuging For the immunoigoical experiments albumin was removed from the serum by electrophoresis set The component proteins of a sputum protein solution were first separated by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate film and then brough into contact with the autologous preparations of lymphocyte protein and serum The film was then analysed for evidence of precipitated protein Using this technique a specific immune response to asbestos has not been demonstrated Each sputum protein solution lymphocyte protein solution and whole serum specimen was separated by electrophoresis and stained A trace of each separation pattern was prepared using the chromoscan apparatus The electrophoretic patterns of sputum globular proteins and glycoproteins suggest that further investigation is merited For the second study sputa were examined by : "ee electrophoresis immunoelectrophoresis immunodiffusion Eight random sputa were exposed to asbestos fibre and the protein uptake analysed by electrophoresis and immunodiffusion Variations in protein uptake caused by preheating the asbestos over a range of temperatures were also investigated by electrophoresis and immunodiffusion Qa No significant changes were found in the percentage protein concentrations of sputum protein between the groups When sputum from the asbestos exposed series was divided into its aqueous and mucoprotein fractions the same proteins were found in both but concentrations were consistently higher in the mucoprotein phase ^ Of the 15 specific globular and glyco proteins sought two were consistently found globulin and & Y globulin A characteristic pattern for asbestotic sputum was not found It was found that the BY fractions were selectively adsorbed and the immunodiffusion patterns altered by the fibre and that the amount of protein adsorbed increased progressively by preheating the fibre In this investigation protein uptake was maximal when the fibre had been heated to 800 Preheating the fibre to 1200 caused a marked fall in its adsorption capacity The adsorbed protein could not be eluted either with deionised water or isotonic saline A significant protein pattern has not yet emerged in sputa from twelve hazarded individuals five of whom are consequential asbestotics When sputum protein is exposed to asbestos fibre in vitro changes in the electrophoretograms and immunodiffusion patterns occur The changes can be enhanced by preheating the fibre at temperatures up to 800 am APPENDIX 9 Report on research at the Institute of Occupational Medicine Edinburgh The Foundation was formally established on April 6th 1971 Proposals for the initiation of the research were submitted to the Asbestosis Research Council at this time Work during the first year has been concerned with the provision of animal research facilities and for the setting up of a histology laboratory The necessary equipment for the histology unit has been purchased by the Institute and is now being installed The electron microscope which was donated by the Asbestosis Research Council has been moved to Edinburgh and assembled under the supervision of the manufacturers ae The animal research laboratory is being constructed in association with the University of Edinburgh at the Bush House Centre Final plans have been prepared and tenders are being sent out to local builders It is hoped to have the laboratory completed by March or April of 1972. Detailed plans for the animal exposure chambers have been drawn up and the first prototype is being constructed at the Institute The materials for the remaining chambers and the equipment for the dusting techniques have been ordered + An S.P.F. rat breeding colony has been established by the University and adequate animals will be available by the beginning of 1972. The animals still being maintained for the experiments of Dr. J.M.G. Davis at Cambridge have been transported to Edinburgh and are being kept in the Pathology Department of the University until they can be moved out to Bush House Discussions have been held with Professor Fisher of the Department of Biochemistry at Edinburgh and he has agreed to assist in the evaluation of substances which might be worth investigating as methods of altering the biological effects of asbestos Staff 14 Dr. J.M.G. Davis M.A. Ph.D. has been appointed to the Institute as from August 1st 1971 and will be responsible for the organisation of the pathology laboratory Advertisements for a senior histology technician have been placed A suitable candidate has been offered the post of Physicist in charge of the dust exposure techniques and his acceptance is awaited