Document YGa265XaLXx8kkVVReLnmkBnn

FILE NAME: Oil Industry and American Petroleum Institute (API) DATE: 1965 Nov 22 DOC#: API201 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Shell Confidential Memo RE Health Hazards from Asbestos with Report - Health of Refinerymen Applying Asbestos Insulation T SHELL OIL COMPAN efeience ircuate - Initial PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL REFINERY MANAGERS , ANACORTES / - HOUSTON MARTINEZ NORCO WILMINGTON WOOD RIVER ODESSA/CINIZA date NOVEMBER 22, 1965 ' f*om MANAGER - MANUFACTURING - ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HEAD CFFICE subject HEALTH HAZARDS FROM ASBESTOS _T?_AGS. -I;-- TJV. _ c,, F ili o I r* . |j I*5* ; There has been considrable discussion in medical circles in recent ^ears concerning the possibility of harmful effects to insulators from long-term to asbestos- natter has been a recent subject of an investigation b y the API Central Committee on Medicine and Health. Attached is a report which summarizes the current status of the study which was presented at the mid-year meeting of the Central Committee. It Includes a summary of the findings from a recent survey of workers in the petroleum industry to determine if there were any potential problems from exposure to asbestos. We thought you should be informed concerning this matter since work in progress b y the U.S. Public Health Service and the medical profession is apt to focus increased attention on the health of workmen engaged in insulation activities. . You will note from the conclusions in he attached report that the data obtained to date is considered inadequate to resolve the question as to the degree of hazard posed to refinery insulators. For this reason, we see no cause for alarm at this time. However, you may wish to review the potential exposure to insulators from asbestos dust to determine if there are any situations where some additional precautions appear desirable. Subsequent to review of this report by the Committee on Industrial Hygiene of the Central Committee on Medicine and Health it was decided that, although the data so far accumulated was insufficient to draw any conclusions, a task force should be established to continue the review and make recommendations for future action. We will keep you advised if anything significant develops. WCB:JC X H. M. Karr Attachment ABS-003995 The sticky note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following this one along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an /V, 'U-'sJ" fai://  . -- ` ' .. .. e -6 Attachment III THE HEALTH OF BEFINERYMEN APPLYING ASBESTOS INSULATION (A Preliminary Audit) . ' . Zocmt reports describing a high incidence of pulmonary neoplasms econg anbostos workers has focused attention on the health of refinery craftsmen engaged i n .insulation activities. To obtain information relative to the exper . iCnC f Ptroloua coapanioe with the health of their insulatoro, rmbere of the Medical and Health Committee were polled, inviting them to contribute personal information on this subject to a common pool. Assurances vere offered that the identity of the donor and source of information would not be revealed to preserve their* confidentiality. Before presenting an analysis of the available information on petroleum company experience, a brief history of asbestos ao an industrial health hazard is appropriate. .. Historical, - For 50 years or longer asbestoeis has been recognized in the United States as a form of pneumonoconioois resulting from exposure to asbestos dust. However, it-was not until Joint medical and environmental studies wore con ducted by official health agencies in the mills of Pennsylvania and North Carolina - - bUt 30 years that the relationship between dust concentration, particle size, . years of exposure and definitive chest x-ray markings was established. The lung field markings vere also shown to correlate well with certain subjective reactions related to pulmonary function. Important facts concerning the physical character of the dusts associated *ith asbestosis wore revealed in these studies. Although asbestos fibers, ranging in median length from 7-16 minrons, were found in the air, these long fibers were relatively few in number. The bulk of suspended dust ranged from about 0.5-3 microns in length and varied in concentration from_as little as 1 or 2 million ' particles por cubic foot of air (mppcf) to 20 or more mppcf, dopending on the ' mechanical operation involved. The correlations also showed that after 15 or more years of exposure the disease reached about the same degree of advancement, as evidenced by chest x-ray markings, regardless of dust intensity. la these studies there seemed to be no evidence of pulmonary or other thoracic neoplasms and no suggestion of such findings. Subsequently, reports of the occurrence of lung cancer and other malignancies associated with asbestos employment began to appear in the literature. Although the number of such cases , appoarod 601113 investigators felt that the observations did not establish an increased incidence of anier and that the association was unproved. Many ABS-003996 E-7 Attachment III valid weaknesses wore shown to exist in tho reports claiming lung cancer as a specific incus trial hazard of asbestos workers. However, in 1963 a report pub lished^ by Sclikoff, Churg and-Ha=ohd ,(tho_letter of tho cigarotto fame) described a significant incidence.of lung cancer and other pleural tumors as veil as cancers of tho stomach, colon and rectum among asbestos insulators in tho construction industry.. Iheso insulators voro exposed to a varioty of materials including fibrous glass, cork and hair folta which contain no asbestos; other insulating materials, such as magnesia, calcium silicate insulating block and insulation - cements containing 10-15 percent asbestos. No free silica wan present and asbestos appears to bo tho only biologically active material in the exposure. This report eeemod to bo f*eo of tho statistical weaknesses and other valid criticisms of tho earlier reports. Since tho date of that report at least 3 additional publications b7 other investigators confirm in part, if not all, tho findings of Sclikoff and his associates. An important finding in theso reports is that those cancers are found soma 20-40 yours after initial exposure to asbestos, frequently after rotire- mant from active employment. Findings - The response to tho poll of the Nodical and Health Committee members regarding this potential problem was nominal for this typo of inquiry. Twelve replies representing nino companies were received. Of this number about 3 companies had made vhat appears to bo a careful of their health records and at least two other companies are engaged or are about to begin both environmental as well as medical surveys of asbestos insulators. A point of special interest is that not all insulating materials used in a refinery consist of or contain asbostos. Considerable quantities of glass wool or rock wool, as well as magnesia, are also used as insulation. Those materials <ire ^ composition to those reported by Sclikoff and associates. One company reports that among a group'of about 40 insulators thoro was one case of bronchogenic carcinoma after come 16 years of esq>osure and one case o f adenocarcinoma of tho rectum after some 20 years o f exposure. Two other employees have had lung biopsies 'performed; one with 25 years of exposure shov ing & single asbestos body in the specimen and the other with 20 years of service with fibrous thickening of the avoolar septa but no asbestos bodies in the spocimen. There was no significant pathology in these specimens. In another company one plant reports a suspected case of asbestosis which occurred some 10 years ago, but the outcome of the case Is lost to antiquity. At another plant of tho samo company one insulator had a lower lobectomy and it - was suspected that tho fibrosis was caused by asbostos. A biopsy disproved this " r 2 - .. . ABS-003997 X The sticky note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following this one along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an / E-8 Attachment III allegation. X-ray examinations of 7 additional insulators at this plant, each of whoa. has had. IS or core yoars of expo sure,_ revealed no significant findings. At still another plant roentgenography of the insulators rovoalod broncho ' vascular markings which was not apparent aeong other refinery people. No signifi cance was attached to these markings by the contributing physician. A third company reported examination of insulators at all their plants. The majority havo less than 15 years service and their chest x-ray films and 6ther . tests appear normal. Two employees with more tha# 15 years service are reported to havo a bronchitis. . All other reporting companies state that their insulators appear healthy and that there have been no unusual illnosaos among the group. No results of any dust surveys wore reported although ono or two companies state that the inhalation exposure to asbestos is insignificant. It is pertinent to point out that the so-called KAC for asbestos dust is 5 mppcf and that some investigators consider this value to be too high. It is equally important to point out that dust con- ' ceatrations below about 5 mppcf of air are generally invisible to the naked eye even to that of the experienced observer. . Conclusion - The data obtained to date from the Hedical and Health Committee is inadequate to resolve the question as to the degree of hazard which . asbestos poses to refinery insulators. This is so because the total number of refinery insulators (about 150) covered by the contributing companies* reports is insufficient for reliable statistical treatment and it is uncertain in every case that the morbidity and mortality records of retired refinery insulators or former refinery insulators have been included in the reports. Since the usu*l ''diagnostic examinations are frequently inadequate to detect certain cancers in B their early stages, the disease may not be revealed until it has progressed to advanced stages late in life. - To obtain an adequate population sample of refinery insulators for 1 statistical reliability and comparison with published data, at least 500 employees should be covered in the survey. Since there are only a relatively few insulators I of long tenure in any one plant, the survey would require the full cooperation of at least 10 companies to obtain meaningful results. As a matter of interoat, I Salikoff reports that the expected mortality from lung and plueral cancers over a 20 year period in a population of 500-600 persons is about 6 and for the same length of time, the expootod mortality from neoplasms of the stomach, colon and * d . rectum is about 9 for the same else population. I 3 - aBS'003998 X The sticky note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following this one along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an  / ' -9 Attachment III oasoa on some personal observations of insulating activities, it is s y opinin that the inhalation exposure to asbestos among refinery insulators is neither m inimal nor insignificant and I~urgo the Kedical anrf Health Committee to continue studying this potential health problem. \ ' \ ABS-003999 / E-10 Attachment III 1. "A Study of Asbestosis in tho Asbosto3 Textile Industry" - Public Health Bulletin August 1938 U.S. Government Printing Office. 2. Braun, B.C. and Ti-uan, T, D. -- "An Epidemiological Study of Lung Cancer in Asbestos Minora" -- AHA Archives of Industrial Health, Vol. 17 (June) 1958 3 Selikoff, Churg and Hmraond - "Asbestos Exposure and Neoplasia" - JAMA ' Vol. 1S8, No. 1, 1964. . ' A. ELviood, P.C. and Cochrane, A.L. -- "A Follow-up Study of Workers from an Asbestos Factory" -- British Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 4, 1964. - 5* Butra, T.R. and Carney, J.D. -- "Asbestosis and Pulmonary Carcinoma" -- Archives . of Environmental Health - Vol. 10, No. 3, 1965. 6. Williams, W.F. - "Asbestosis .and Lung Cancer" - Archives of Environmental Health - Vol. 10, No. 1, 1965. . 7. Asbestosis Symposium -- Ne w York Academy of Sciences -- Sunnier of 1964 y-.r a b S ' O O *000 X The sticky note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following this one along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an .-V * ,, . , TABIE 2 - Pace 2. - , Precancerous -.Lesions ._ .... . Etiologie gent BONES AND BONE MARROW: : i1 1 r: Blood dyscraaiaa: Hyperplastic, hypoplastic, aplastic, .. . . . or hemolytic anemia. . Thrombocytopenic purpura with spleen not markedly en larged. Transitory leukopenia, mono cytosis. Benzol and derivatives radioactive substances, radiation. . LUNGS: ' ' il Pneumoconioses: Chronic Pneumonia: Bituminosis, asbestosis, "lipoid" pneumonia, chronic chemical pneu monia, arsenical dermatosis, chromate ulcer of hands, perforated nasal septum (chromate, arsenic). Asbestos, arsenic, tar, s oil, mist, chrome salts, -- chrome pigments, nickel carbonyl. --- ... ----------------- . -- Many of these pre-cancerous manifestations regress spontaneously^* exposure j : to the causative agent ceases, however, son of the* ere followed by or transformed into malignant growths. It is advised, therefore, to examine certain workers periodically for such reactions whan they are known to be exposed to these carcinogenic agents, and when sue warning signals appear the uorlmr should be removed from his environment. X 003343 J CARTER 3542