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FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1973 June 19 DOC NMA075 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION NYT - Test For Cancer Set in Minnesota EST FOR CANCER SET IN MINNESOTA By JANE E. BRODY New York Times Currentfile Jun 19 1973 ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times 1851 - 2002 9 TEST FOR CANCER SET INMINNESOTA 2 Doctors to Check on Risk From Asbestos in Water BY BRODY JANE E. international Two international experts on environmentally caused cancer left last night for Duluth Minn to program set to crash up a testing try determine whether asbestos fibers de- tected in the city's drinking water presented a risk of can- the lake once thought to be staff to work hour shifts cer to its 100,600 residents extremely pure for drinking around the clock so that results The source of the fibers ac- purposes of the organs tissue ctohredinUgniUnittedeadn aSntnatoeusnceEmnevnitroEnnvir-on- Study of Tissues organs be mental Protection Agency last The two cancer experts Dr. weeks tests done on autopsy available in a few week was believed to be the E. Cuyler Hammond biostatisti- In light of the seriousness 67,000 tons of waste rock tail cian for American Cancer of the potential hazard we are ings that have been dumped Society and Dr. Irving J. Selik condensing three months work daily for the last 16 years into off who heads the Environ into three weeks Dr. Selikoff Lake Superior by the Reserve Sciences Laboratory at said in an interview before leav- here will Mining Company a taconite Mount Sinai Hospital ing for Minnesota in procesing SilvSielvrer Bay compare the accumulation of His concern stemmed from Minn The tailings have been asbestos fibers in the tissues findings by him and his col- found to contain asbestos par- of Duluth residents with that leagues as well as by other ticles of asbestos workers of researchers which showed that Duluth and at least eight people with no known exposure abestos workers had high death other communities bordering to the mineral rates from cancer of the lung Lake Superior use water from Dr. Selikoff has set up hisstomach and colon Through thelers accumu years these workers what's going to happen tute for Environmental Hea Sciences went lated and retained large amounts 5 or 10 years from now to Duluth y asbestos of fibers in their body At the same time Dr. Ham terday morning to begin at lyzing samples of the city's i tissues mond and the American Can and water and locally mar In asbestos workers whose cer Society will analyze the factured food products .. exposure to the fibers has been death records of 3.000 Duluth The Reserve plant at Silv mainly through asbestos inhalation the cancers gen of residents who have a national cancer been part survey of pel ets which extracts iron pellets from taconite ro erally not show up for 20 one million persons followed mined along the Minnesota ir or 30 years It was not known since 1959. Dr. Hammond will Range has involved whether consumption of the look for possible early signs a court battle with state a fibers through drinking water of increased deaths from can Federal would present a similar risk cer particularly that of the agencies that ha However Dr. Selikoff said gastrointestinal tract stop the company's pollution Nicholson If the residents of Duluth have Dr. William J. a Lake Superior similar accumulations of asbes- biophysicist from Dr. Selikoff's tos as do the asbestos work laboratory which is a thelers we can pretty well pre icenter for the National Insti- GIVING BEGETS JOY GIVE FRESH AIR FUND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permission