Document a4EEqgNG8j0Ne5kDvM9DK2jd9

FILE NAME: Owens Illinois Library (OWL) DATE: 1950 DOC#: OWL029 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - Environmental Cancer Hazards Caused by Industrial Air Pollution V A It C H I V E S O F > k Industrial and - > >* Occupational Medicine EDITORIAL BOARD P H ILIP D R IN K ER , Chief Editor 55 Shattuck Street, Boston 15 rtlt.uDORK F. H A TCH , Pittsburgh FENN E . P O O LE . Gleiulule, C alif. KOttl.UT A. KUH O E, Cincinnati FRANK PRIN CI, Denver H l\N K A. PA TTY, Detroit W ILLIAM A . SA W Y E R , Rochester, X . Y JA M E S H . STERN ER, Rochester, N . Y . RICHARD J . P LU N K E T T , M .O ., Chicago, Managing Editor . *1 Volume 2 1950 P U B L ISH E R S AM ERICAN M EDICAL A SSO CIA TIO N C H IC A G O 10. I L L . N (1 MEDICINE applied and healing of old ay be of some nation there is 1 the adoption ending to such ersonnel, eduuards, routine , etc. \y of limiting ; disturbances, lisease and of c ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER HAZARDS CAUSED BY INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION Introductory Comment to the Discussion W. C . HUEPER, M.D. Cancerigenic Studies Section, Notional BETHESDA, MD. Cancer Institute A N A P P R E C I A B L E number of recognized or suspected occupational -V - cancers are probably caused by inhalation of certain cancerigenic chemicals in dust, fumes, vapors, mists or gases (figs. 1 and 2 ). Many of these industrial agents are also introduced into the air while they are being used or released as waste products. Because the minimal effective cancerigenic dose, of almost every one of these agents is yet to be estab lished, the possible, even the probable, existence of cancer hazards resulting from pollution of the environmental air by chemicals represents an appropriate subject for those taking part in this conference to consider. W ith the exception of soot as a possible cause of cancer of the lung and cancer of the scrotum, cancer-producing factors polluting the environmental air have only rarely been considered or investigated in connection with cancer in man. Studies of this problem which render valid evidence are difficult, complex and time-consuming. There is small wonder, therefore, that at present all available data on this matter have suggestive value at best, and most are mere speculation. Some years ago Green alleged that the sulfur dioxide released during the burning of coal and the smelting of ores is the cause of an excessive incidence of cancer among population groups exposed to the fumes. O n the other hand, Stephens blamed carbon monoxide, which was introduced into the atmosphere from domestic and industrial sources, for causing cancer in certain workers and the general population. These claims have little, it any, basis in fact. Much more substantial, however, is the evidence in regard to other industrial products (table). There can be no doubt that products of the combustion and fractionation of coal, such as soot containing cancerigetiic tar, tar fumes, pitch and tar dust are polluting the environmental a:r from various sources and at many places. Similarly, combustion products and processed fractions of mineral oils, shale oils and natural g.'K are released into the air as domestic or commercial soots and fumes, ivca<t at the United States Technical Conference on A ir Pollution, M ay 3 to S, 325 BBS HM ^ i -* i : r r r * ->'r'T ^ rer.T .5X7 '** - . - #r.*.v^? 'i. VC-, i.**' 1 M EDICINE K z9h garera ' ^ V\i ^TjA5 mewR JDp3SrJDDa;)) uWCc - ' $ $ 3 3 TPflHrflflRMr* taflsHKii 4 0 ? ^ J %-*v2SfmGs Sl . r.+^LfWm,JM ""f l iOE S acSffy y r j - 1 ' w& m B& V w ( - il ,, tory cancer. -- <**. x & k * Environmental Cancergenc Agents and Sites of Cancer Cancerlgenic Agent Type o Contact Site ot Cancer Benzene Arom atic amines Beta napbtbylamlne Benzidine C oal tar, pitch. asphalt, soot, bitumen, creosote oil, anthracene oil (3,4-benzpyrene) Shale oil Lubricating oils Crude paraffin oils Lignite oils Lubricating oils Crude paraffin oils T ar oils Petroleum and Petroleum products Lubricating oils Crude paraffin oils Fuel oils Commercial soots Arom atic Organic Chemicals Cutaneoua Respiratory Cutaneoua Respiratory 7fc Cutaneoua a, Respiratory (turnes) Cutaneous Cutaneous Cutaneous ** Respiratory (M ist-D ust) Leukemia Lym phosarcom a? Myeloma/ Carcinom a o f bladder, ureter, renal pelvis C arcin om a ot skin Carcinom a o f lung Carcinom a o f skin Carcinom a o t skin Carcinom a o f skin Carcinom a o f lung? Isopropyl oil? Aliphatic Organic Chemicals Respiratory C arcin om a o f nasal sinuses and lung/ Arsenicals Inorganic and organic? Chrom ates Nickel carbonyl? Asbestos Inorganic Chemicals Cutaneous A lim en tary Respiratory Respiratory Respiratory Respiratory Carcinom a ot skin Carcinom a o f lung? Carcinom a of alimentary tract? Carcinom a o f bladder? Carcinom a o f lung C arcin om a o f n a s a l sinuses and lung Carcinom a of lung Ionizing radiatioQ o f electromagnetic (gam m a) and corpus* cuiar types (alpha, beta) from radioactive chemicals Ionizing radiation from x-ray tubes Ultraviolet radiation solar radiation Physical Agents Cutaneous Respiratory A lim en tary General body Parenteral Cutaneoua General body Cutaneous Carcinom a and sarcoma o f skin Carcinom a ot lung C arcin om a o t n asal sinuses Sarcom a o t booes Leukem ia, lymphosarcoma C arcin o m a o t liver? Carcinom a ot skin Sarcom a o t connective tissues and hones Leukem ia, lymphosarcoma Carcin om a o t skin Caocerlgeoic Agent Rite o f Cancer Species Potential Environmental Cancerlgenic Agents and Cancer Sites Arom atic amino compounds o-aininoazotoluene Liver Rat o-am inoazo benzene Biadder Mouse 2,3-azotoluene . - D .nj-diethyl-p-sm ino* axobenzene 4-dimetbyl-ainino* beozene-l-azooapth* thaieoc 4-oxy-2:3-dimethyl- azobeozeoe 2-acctyUmiaouorene 2-aminolluorene Dibenzocarbazole 4-dimetbylamioo* nzobenzene Estrogenic compounde Breast Mouse Stilbestrol Rat Uterus Guinea pig Hemopoietic tissue Mouse Aliphatic compounds Chlorinated hydrocarbons Liver Mouse Chloroform Carbon tetrachloride I>icthyiene glycol Bladder Rat C a rb a m a te d erivative Luna Moue Thiourea derivatives Beryllium Selenium Thyroid giaod? Bone Liver Rat Mouse Rabbit Rat 4 * 1 .-$yV. r 328 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE or may cover mineral particles escaping from cracking towers, thereby r.W'- becoming a part of the constituents of smogs. Whenever production and waste disposal methods in aromatic amine operations are inadequate, dust, fumes and vapors of beta or alpha naphthylamine and benzidine may enter the air of the factory fume zone. The large scale use of arsenical dusts as pesticides and the long-continued and formerly uncon trolled release of arsenicals with the waste fmes of metal ore smelters may have created potential cancer hazards in many regions. It may be wise to consider the possible existence of similar conditions for the population living near chromate factories, beryllium operations and asbes tos mills. In recent years the potentiality of cancerigenic air pollution hazards in connection with many establishments in which radioactive material is produced, used or handled Has become an important factor in their operations. Cancerigenic agents polluting the air may enter the human body by inhalation, cutaneous contact or ingestion. Exposure of the population to cancerigenic air pollutants, especially those of stable nature, may result from their subsequent incorporation into and contamination of drinking water, foodstuffs and soil. Cancers caused by cancerigenic air pollutants may affect not only parts of the respiratory tract, such as the lung or the nasal sinuses, but, depending on the nature of the agent and the type of exposure, may affect other organs, such as skin, bones, bone marrow and bladder. The future control of these potential hazards depends, first, on the reliable qualitative and quantitative demonstration of cancerigenic agents in the air around establishments producing or handling recognized or suspected cancerigenic agents ; second, on thorough epidemiologic studies of cancer incidence in the population living in the fume or waste disposal zone of such plants ; and third, on the subsequent institution of effective measures preventing further release of cancerigenic agents into the environmental air. To cope properly and speedily with this new health hazard from air pollution in the modern industrial environment, it is essential that indus trial management, public health agencies and the medical profession be alerted to the problem and that they work together harmoniously in trying to solve it. Wv v eHff1eL< technical of the pri offenders, of chemic and nume: producing chemical measures, particulate (cedarwoc and soy be Hour mills are comm Smuts barley, sor ties in the Accorc pathology Agricultur reached 1, that spore, in mill du to 9,000,0c threshing of eastern The " smut middle of X;v / From tl Present Washington. 1. Heali y Company, Ir 1938, v o l 13 i ' . v.- . li REPORT ON INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IN THE WESTERN ZONE OF GERMANY * V- - ; IRVING R. TAIERSHAW, M.D. - MIW YORK ,-. . PURPOSE TH IS S U R V E Y attempts to evaluate present day industrial hygiene practices in the Western Zone nr Germany. It had been noted by American public health officials that German practices in this field (.five years after the war) were lacking or rudimentary or had regressed to the point of ineffectiveness. This was especially true it viewed in the light of the modern concept of industrial hygiene a a field of public health which embraces the prevention of disease and injury as well as the maintenance and improvement of workers' health. PROCEDURE 'fficiaJ? in the health and lalxir departments of all government units were inter viewed. Discussions were also held with those quasiofficial and nonofficial agencies which have an interest in some phase ui industrial hygiene. A number of research lalioratories were inspected, and educational programs of a few of the leading uni versities were examined. A representative number of plants, including those in the Ruhr, were visited and industrial medical practices reviewed. Several con ferences and meetings on industrial hygiene problems were attended, and a number of round table discussions were held in several cities. INTRODUCTION Tlie practice of industrial hygiene in Germany is important inasmuch as that country was one of the leading industrial nations of Europe and is rapidly regaining its former stains. Table 1 indicates the total mimlier employed in Western Germany for the second half-year of l ` >40. Since all workers must lie insured in an accident insurance company i Hcruisgcnossi'nschaft). these figures were chosen as being most inclusive. Accident insurance cnm{>anies are organized in four large groups cither bv industry or on a geographic basis. Industrial accidents are common and occupational disease, particularly silicosis, is of serious significance in the Ruhr and in the porcelain industry. It was unof ficially stated in regard to the coal mines that the indemnity paid for occupational disease in 1940 was higher than the indemnity for accidents, ' ..u* , Dr. Tahershaw is associate professor of industrial hygiene at Colombia University School of Public Health, and medical director in the Eastern Division of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. New York. - 298 ' ^ X* : V- 312 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE I APPENDIX I T L itt o f Occupational Diseases W hich in Social Insurance A re Considered Equivalent with Occupational Accidents. (Additional promulgation of ordinance dated A pril 27, 1950, Code 1950.) Occupational Diseases and the Nature of the Industries with Which They are Associated* N'a Disease caused by 1 lead or its compounds 2 cadmium or its compounds 3 phosphorus or its compounds 4 " mercury or its compounds - 5 arsenic or its compounds 6 manganese or its compounds 7 beryllium or its contpoundst 8 benzene or its compounds 9 nitro- and amino* compounds of benzene, its homologs and their drivtes 10 . methanol ' 11 nitric acid compounds 12 halogcnated hydrocarbons 13 carbon disulfide 14 hydrogen sulfide 15 carbon monoxide 16 Diseases ot the tevth caused by adds 17 Diseases caused by roentgen rays and radioactive elements 18 Skin cancer or similar precanccrous changes of the skin caused by soot, paraffin, tar, anthracene, pitch and similar substances 19. Cancer or other tumors, as well as morbid changes of the urethral mucous membrane, caused by aromatic amines it) Occupational 'kin diseases which make change of occupation or the termination of empli irmeitt necessary 21 Diseases produced hy repeated shacks as a result of the use of tools operating with compressed air or similar tools ami machines 22 Bone fractures caused by fatigue 23 Diseases caused hy working iit compressed air 24 Diseases of the joint bursae (bursitis) due to permanent pressure or permanent shock suffered by the affected parts of the body 25 Chronic diseases of the tendons, the tendons and their muscles, the ligaments and the meniscus insertions 26 Paralysis of nerves exposed to pressure 27 Diseases of bones, joints and ligaments caused by fluorine compounds (fluorosis) 28 Dust disease of the lungs (silicosis, silicatosis) diminishing the capacity to breath and impairing tlte circulation, or associated with pulmonary tuberculosis (active) '29 Ada-stnsis with diminished capacity to breathe and impaired circulation or associated with cancer of tlic Jungs. * 1*29-, all enterprises. tWilh ti>e exception of skin diseases, which rate as occupational disease only so far as they are symptoms of a general illiiest resulting from the action of noxious substances absorbed into the hndv or are to be indemnified as per no. 20.