Document ZnEQ6NML4Qp5bgJpYY8Vp0pMY

r-r --J u/n^AJr-'wi.^.mr'fimw u'/T>. f'i " _ I'-Ul-^L. ct^JnyLLtLc ESESMSiT Of Mice and Men: the U.S., he said. It would therefore be variety of human ills: hepatitis, a crip "irresponsible in the extreme" to wait pling bone disease, and cancer. This yeai Alarm over Plastics until a wave of human cancers provides B.F. Goodrich reported that three work proof of the chemicals' suspected dan ers had developed angiosarcoma of the The consumer-oriented federal ger. The EPA agreed, noting that slight liver, an extremely rare and invariably agencies that have been born in the past ly more expensive substitutes are avail fatal form of cancer (TIME, May 13) four years have quickly learned how to able to control the pests. Since 1961, 16 deaths of angiosarcoma show their muscle. Instead of allowing Trouble with VC, Although the among vc workers have been uncovered scientists employed by industry to con EPA's decision sets a precedent for pro in the U.S., and another ten in Europe tinue setting their own safety standards, tecting human health from potentially --conclusive evidence of the danger. federal scientists are rechecking those toxic substances, it hardly compares in OSHA'S problem was what to do standards--and frequently disagreeing impact to the action by the Labor De about it. The agency's charter calls for *- with them. Last week two different partment's Occupational Safety and it to prevent any occupational disease agencies acted on different fronts to lim Health Administration (OSHA). The ---and it had theoretical evidence to it threats to human health. In each case agency established final limits for work show that even slight exposure to vc the reason was the same: man-made ers' exposure to vinyl chloride (vc), a might cause cancer. On the other hand, i chemicals in wide usage were implicated colorless gas derived from chlorine and if OSHA set a zero level of exposure, it in causing cancer. If the new rulings petrochemicals. It is the major ingredi would force the dosing of major seg stand up to court tests, they promise to ent in polyvinyl chloride (pvc)--the ma ments of an immense industry. have important consequences for the na terial from which seat covers, phono Its final ruling was a compromise jj tional economy. graph records, credit cards, detergent Nonetheless, Dow Chemical Co was The Environmental Protection containers, floor tiles, shower curtains, quick to describe the new limit as "un .4 Agency forbade the use of the pesticides and a vast number ofother familiar plas necessarily stringent." Having dealt Photo trends with vc for nearly 25 years and cut ex posure levels to 50 p.p.m. back in 1961. the company reported no cases of an giosarcoma; its evidence thus indicated that amount as a safe level of exposure Moreover, the industry says that it sim ply does not have the technology to com ply with the new restriction, and the So ciety of the Plastics Industry has sued to overturn osha's ruling. Inevitable Exposure. Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, director of the environmental- sciences laboratory of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, favors no ex posure at all but believes that OSHA's rul ing is feasible. "Industrial-hygiene en gineers cannot guarantee that there will { 3 not be leaks," he says. "The 1-p.pm. standard recognizes the inevitability of some exposure. It is logical, realistic and scientific." VINYL-CHLORIDE WORKER BEING GIVEN HEALTH TEST AT A GOODYEAR PLANT In a rare disease, 16 deaths are surely conclusive evidence. The Environmental Protection Agency also got into the act, announc ing that it will set air-pollution standards ! aldrin and dieldrm on corn and citrus tic products are made. In total, a recent for vinyl chloride. A special EPA task crops. Because such spraying accounts Arthur D. Little study reveals, about 2.2 force has found that more than 200 mil for 90% of the chemicals' usage, EPA's million jobs in industries selling up to lion lbs. of vc and 50 million lbs. of action is a virtual ban. Shell Chemical $90 billion worth of goods annually de pvc are being discharged into the en Co., the sole U.S. producer, is appeal pend on PVC. vironment during the conversion pro } ing the decision in federal court. The This gigantic segment of the U.S. cess. In other words, people who live pesticides now protect the crops from economy rests, like an inverted pyramid, downwind of factories that make pvc cutworms and other insects. But they are on the production of VC, and osha's new might also unknowingly be getting a so long-lasting that they get into ani standards threaten that production. The whiff of the gas, Two cases of angio mal feed, water supplies, and thus into agency ruled that starting Jan. 1, work sarcoma have in fact been reported in human food as well. What the pesticides ers cannot be exposed to more than one people whose houses were near a pvc do to people is still unknown. But they part of VC per million parts of air (v. plant in Bridgeport, Conn. have been found to trigger cancers in the present 50 p.p.m.), averaged over an How far afield the hunt for the dan laboratory mice. eight-hour day, or to more than 5 p.p.m. gerous gas will go is hard to predict. } Was that sufficient evidence to ban for any period longer than 15 minutes. Some scientists fear that burning plas the agricultural chemicals? No, argued The new rule applies only to the some tic products in dumps or incinerators re Shell: cancer in the mouse alone cannot 6,000 workers who handle VC directly leases vc into the air. Others even worry predict the likelihood of cancer in man. in 50 U.S. plants. that vc might be emitted from auto seat But Administrative Law Judge Herbert There is no doubt that some ruling covers in cars that have been parked ail L. Perlman, who reviewed all testimony was necessary. Ever since vc was in day in the sun. Beyond that loom po and scientific evidence gathered during vented in 1937 by the B.F. Goodrich Co., tential dangers from scores of other con EPA's hearings, had a different view. it has been linked to disease. First it was taminants in man's everyday products. "Dieldrin has probably accumulated in shown to be dangerous to laboratory rats As more is learned about them, moie the body tissue of every individual" in and mice. Later it was implicated in a bans and controls are likely. 64 TIME, OCTOBER 14. 1V?4 CUSAROSS 02549