Document YjxdDrpJn764VrVVZqmr1YNbk

FILE NAME: Talc (TALC) DATE: 1972 May 2 DOC#: TALC066 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Barry Castleman from the FDA d e p a r t m e n t o f h e a l t h ,education,a n d PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE fo o d an d d r u g a d m in is t r a t io n W A S H I N G T O N , D C 20204 welfare May 2, 19/2 Mr. Barry Castieman Technical Services Section Division of Air Pollution and Industrial Hygiene Bureau of Environmental Services Baltimore County Department of Health Maryland Avenue and Hi lien Road Towson, Maryland 21204 Dear Mr. Castieman: Thank you for your U t t e r of Apri, 25, 1572, and th e enclosed material. D uring th e p ast s ix months v a rio u s /" '"T e r e n c e s 11v lth D r" se H k o f and h is t S f h l r f I S U N e t l o r " : have c o l l e c t - and reviewed shout one hundred papers on asbestos toxicity. - u of t-hPlone time o.ag andalso Largely because of the long ti 8 because of a reluctance sabstance the dose response to allow human relationships of asbestos toxicity undetermined. The industrial it wiLi be 20 to 40 tolerance rests on rather saky ro^n ' . i too high or too low. years before it can be determined whether it is too m g n In the meantime, t r e m o n-t e , ^ue c a u n I Ic' not widely chrysotile. used, have does not have talked with the backround,offprV ^ a^nJtremolite is less hazardous than other forms some experts who feel that tremolite is areuraent. of asbestos. This point can not be settle y g , ,, c phP Food Drue and Cosmetic Act, which governs , With regard to cosmetics, th Droducts must be shown to contain i . e . our activities states precise L ^ / f o r e they are subject to action, a harmful or deleterious substance before TM ey. hazardius before it can The FDA must be prepared to prove a cosmetic is hazardous act against it . Page 2 - Mr. Barry Cast lemn Talc and carcinoma of the ovary and cervix, J. Obsti't, Gynecol BrJlmmonw, 78:266 - 272, (March). 1971)] were able to demonstrate talc, but not asbestos within malignant tissue. Unfortunately., they also noted talc particles in normal tissue. I would very much like to see the results of a survey such as you discuss. There may be a problem in that women who do not use talc dusted contracep tives may have been examined with t a x dusted gloves so that there may be some problem in developing a control group. Sincerely yours, /joiin M. Gowdy, M.D. ( 7 Assistant Director for Medical /Division of Colors b . Cosmetics Office of Product Technology Affairs Technology /