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FILE NAME: Union Carbide (UC) DATE: 1967 Oct DOC#: UC090 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Abstracts from Industrial Hygiene Digest with Cover Memo - Asbsestos & Malignancy, Danger of Asbestos for General Population, & Several Others W - oyc, Br. G. F. Johnson Building 706-M Georg: In accordance with our telephone conversation o this Morning I as enclosing several abstracts taken from current literature which ascribe carcinogenic properties to inhaled asbestos particles. Mr. B. J . Cottrell suggested that you review this inform*- tion .and then route it to him. / By copy of this note, I am requesting that Fred William ct in touch with you to see if you need any further Information. M, B. Ketchsua/dww December 14, 1967 attachments cot Mr. B. K. Berg Mr. B. J. Cottrell C. . Demehl, M. D. Mr. Fred Williams * UCC 000447 Industrial Hygiene Digest ' Av O cto b er, 1067 r 947 I n s e c t s a s P o t e n t i a l S o u r c e of n g e s t a n t A lle rg e n s.. H .S . B c r n t o n and M. B ro w n . Ann, Allergy 3H1- 387 ( 1967). T he dialy zed e x tr a c ts of eig u T io o d -co n tam in atin g in se c ts have been used in a s c r ie s of c u t aneous te s ts . The e n tire life cycle of these in sects is confined to plant products, The incidence of p o s i t i v e c u t a n e o u s r e a c t i o n s in a g r o u p of 2 30 u n s e l e c t e d a l l e r g i c p a t i e n t s is 68% o r 30%. T he incidence of positiv e cutaneous re a c tio n s in a group of 194 "n o rm a l" n o n -a!lerg ic in d iv id u a ls is 50% o r 25%. T he a lle rg e n of four in s e c t e x tr a c ts is th e r m o s t a b le . P r e l i m i n a r y te s ts indicate the p re s e n c e of s k in -se n s itiz in g an tib o d ies and p re c ip itin s am ong the re a c t o r s of both the allerg ic and n o n -a lle rg ic . In sect-co n tam in ated food is unavoidable. Tw enty-eight per cent of our combined groups exhibit a skin sensitiveness. A m ore definite characterization of a l l e r g e n s and a n t i b o d i e s by th e I m m u n o l o g i s t w ill h e l p l n d e n t lf y tfh o s e of c l i n i c a l I m p o r t a n c e . The Indian m eal m oth heads the list of insects capable of provoking positive skin reactions. -- J. Am. Med. Assn. References & Reviews 948 Teflon E m b o lism of C o ro n ary A r te r ie s . F. G o n z a le z -C ru ssi, et al. j | J. J. T h o racic h C a rd io v a sc . Surg. 54, 53-59 (July, 1967). % . ' H A patient is described who developed coronary em bolism of Teflon m aterial from a Hufnagei . p ro sth etic aortic cusp. B a c te ria l endocarditis appeared to have contributed significantly to developm ent of the em bolic phenomena. The case is unusual in that the clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological evidence indicated an eradication of the active bacterial endocarditis d u r ing life, and the patient succum bed to the effects of co ro n ary Teflon em bolism . -- J. Ami Med. Assn. References & Reviews 949 Im m unological D iagnosis of Type of Snake in Snake Bite. E .R . T rethew ie a n d .P .A . Rawlinson. M ed. J . A u s tr ia lia 2, 111-113 (July 15, 1967). Serum expressed from the region of sim ulated bite and actual snake bite in anim ais has been sep arated and has been shown to re a c t specifically w ith a s e r ie s of antivenenes. The technique employed for this analysis is double diffusion in agar, and while the reaction time has varied from two to five hours, it is expected to speed this up to one hour or less with certain m odifi cations. In the fir s t instance one should give antivenene according to the type of the snake, if this inform ation is available, and taking into account the geographical distribution. -- J. Am, Med. Assn. References & Reviews V 950 Occupational D isability in P atien ts With Chronic A irw ay O bstruction, C. F. Diene.' and B. B u rro w s . A m. R ev. R e sp . DiB. 9^, 35-42 (July, 1967). In a group of 99 em p h y se m a -b ro n c h itis patients who w ere not disab ility applicants, w ork status w a s c lo s e ly r e la te d to th e e x e rtio n a l d e m a n d s of th e i r u s u a l o c c u p a tio n s and to m e a s u r e m e n ts of expiratory slowing. E lectrocardiographic findings had som e independent usefulness in p r e dicting w ork status. P ulm onary function tests and other clinical and laboratory data did not fu rth e r im p ro v e this p red ictio n . As a rule, patients w ith a forced e x p ira to ry volum e (one s e c o n d ) ( F E V i Q) of 1. 0 l i t e r o r m o r e c o n ti n u e d to w o r k u n l e s s t h e i r o c c u p a t i o n s w e r e v e r y demanding physically. The prognosis for continuted em ploym ent was poor when the FEVj q was below 0.75 lite r reg ard less of occupation. -- J. Am. Med, A ssn, R eferences & Reviews 951 _ E m p h y s e m a P r o d u c e d in D ogs by C ig a r e t te S m oking. O. A u e rb a c h , et a l. ' J . A m . Med. A ssn . 9 9,24 1-24 6 (Jan. 23, 1967). P u lm o n a ry fib ro sis and em p h y sem a, s im ila r to those conditions in hum an beings, w ere found in dogs that had sm oked c ig a re tte s tw ice daily for m o re than 420 days. T h e re a re 9 re fe ren ces. -- Public Health Eng. Abets. 952 A sb esto sia and M alignancy, N. G. D em y and H. A dler Am. J. Roentgenol. 100. 597-602 (July, 1967). . H isto ry r e v e a l s a re la tio n s h ip betw een a s b e s to s is and m a lig n a n c y . A study b a se d on 20 y e a r s ' experience with asbestosis in an industrial community shows a correlation between m alig n a n c y and l o n g - t e r m e x p o s u r e s v a r y i n g f r o m 15 to m o r e th a n 25 y e a r s . Of 47 patients studied, 36 had c a r c in o m a , one had f ib ro s a r c o m a , and 10 had m e s o th e lio m a . A ll of th e s e 4 7 p a tie n ts had previous long exposure to asbestos products and processing, -- J. Am. Med, Assn. References b Reviews 11 UCC 000448 W'-' I n d u s t r i a l Hygurm* Oij>c st SnpUi ml a; r, 1067 occu rren ce hi the asb esto s w o rk ers was attributed to the g re a te r carcinogenicity and p o ssib ly to e x p o s u r e to a s b e s t o s d u st of g r e a t e r c o n c e n tr a tio n as c o m p a r e d to c o m m e r c i a l talc C arcinom a of the g a stro in te stin a l tr a c t and p erito n eu m showed no significant difference in the talc and control populations. However, in the asb esto s w orkers g astrointestinal and peritonea) m alignancies w ere elevated significantly. Death due to pneumoconiosis or its co m p lic a tio n s , o r both, w as re c o rd e d in 28 ind iv id u als, 19 of whom died fro m co r p u lm o n ale. T b e c a u s e of d e a th in th e r e m a in i n g nine w as t u b e r c u l o s i s (5) o r b ro n c h o p n e u m o n ia (4). . The lapsed tim e from firs t talc exposure to death from pneumoconiosis or Complications, or both, a v e r a g e d 2 5 . 9 y e a r s , w ith a ra n g e f r o m 15 to 39 y e a r s . E x c lu d in g c o r p u lm o n a le , th e r e w e re 5 c a rd ia c d e a th s , 19 of w hich w e re due to c o r o n a r y a r t e r y d is e a s e , th r e e to h y p e r t e n s i v e h e a r t d i s e a s e , and t h r e e to r h e u m a t i c h e a r t d i s e a s e . Of th e 91 d e a t h c a s e s d a ta on e n v i r o n m e n t a l e x p o s u r e w e r e a v a il a b le in 80. T h e m e a n d u r a t i o n of e x p o s u r e `fo r this g ro u p was 2 4 .7 y e a r s w ith a range of 15 to 47 y e a r s . P r e v i o u s stu d ie s,h a v e indicated that co r pu monale was a m a jo r cause of death among talc m in e rs and m ille rs. This was also found in the p resen t study. However, what has not been previously brought out is the in c re a s e in observed incidence of carcin o m a of the lung among these w o rk ers as dem onstrated in t h i s s tu d y . T h e r e a r e 9 r'evf eiorleenncceess . __ A* u t h o r s ', s u m m a r y 866 of A sbestos. R ecent Studies on its Biological Effects. Wvers M em orial L e c tu re , 1965. J . C. G ilsom T r a n s . Soc. Occ. M ed. 16, 62-74 (July. 1966b The author d iscu sses the subject u n d er the following headings: Types of fib er and production ev n erim ^f1 rim ental w ork with asbestos; inhalation of fib e rs; ex p erim en tal asb esto sis! p en m en tai carcinogenesis; health hazards of asbestos; asbesto sis-p resen t position in the U. K.. asbestos exposure and c a n c e r; branchial tu m o rs; diffuse m eso th elial tu m o rs' and out- ending p ro b lem s, ' 867 Danger of A sbestos for G en eral Population. J. Guthbert. M unch, m ed . W o c h sc h r. 109, 1369-1372 (June 23, 1967). Form ation of asbestos bodies and the development of interstitial pulm onary fibrosis are possible sequelae of the inhalation of asbestos. The in c re a se in pulm onary carcinom a can be traced back to extensive contact with asbestos and to asbestosis. Heavy air pollution with asbestos dust leads to the classical form of asbestosis. A d ecrease in asbestos dust possibly prqvi^ies the tim e n ecessary for the development of the carcinogenic effect of asbestos. Cases are presented in which endotheliomas have formed many years after a short contact with asbestos Increased im port and use of asbestos increase the danger connected with it. C a r p en ters who m anufacture asb esto s plates o r p erso n s who live in the neighborhood of asbestos factories, are especially exposed, - J. Am. Med. Assn. References & Reviews }68 L ooking at F o u n d r y A i r P o ll u t i o n P r o b l e m s . M. S te r li n g . Foundry 95, 136-138 (M arch, 1967). ' The need to control em issions associated with sand handling and preparation, shakeout, grind ing, chipping, cleaning, control of cupola em ission, and sim ilar activities a re discussed. D egrees of code se v e rity asso ciate d with estim ated cupola and co llecto r p erfo rm an ce re q u ire m ent and levels c u rre n tly specified in sev eral m ajo r u rban a re a s a re shown in tables. The approach to control dust and fum es was to install a w a te r sp ra y sy ste m utilizing a wetted cone affle or sim ila r configuration. V enturi sc ru b b e rs and other devices have been installed. Control codes, system s, future cupola control, and specific needs are discussed. -- APCA Absta. 869 M easurem ent of the P ro je c te d A rea of Dust Samples G. B, R odgers, J . S c i. I n s t r . 44, 21 7 -2 1 8 ( M a r c h , 19 67 b ------ A diffraction in stru m e n t for determ ining the size distribution and re sp ira b le surface are a s o t h l t e ^ h d ^ s t l t Cf b e d ` s i m Plc is c ^ c t e d on a g lass slide which is alum inize film Stal HH r , im aged as an a p e rtu re of the projected a re a in the alum inum the feedhark I t* scale a re obtained by placing the photovoltaic d etec to r in Absolute caUh r T T ' l amPlifior u si"g a logarithm ic diode as the feedback elem ent Absolute calibration is done by Using a num ber of artificial sa m p le s consisting of one or re c i r c u l a r a p e r t u r e s of 50 m illim ic ro n d ia m e te r punched in a lu m in u m foil. . -- APCA Absts. 16. UCC 000449 Industrial Hygiene Digest May, 1967 482 483 . 484 S i m p l i f i ed M e th o d fu r D e t e r m i n i ng C a s e a d t: I m p a c t o r S in ge E f f i c i e n c i e s . J . C . C o u c h m a n and It. M. M oseley. Am. Ind. Hyg. A ssn. J. 28, 62-67 ( J a n .- F e b . 1967). A d irect method has been devised for m easuring e.ascndo im pactor stage efficiencies. The m ethod m a k e s use of a sp e c ia l tw o -sta g e co n fig u ratio n of tho s a m p le r being c a lib ra te d . To employ the m ethod, it is n e c e ss a ry only to m e a s u re the unnorm alized density function of the * so u rce and the u n norm alized den sity function of the p a rtic le s co llected on the second of two identical im p a c to r stag es. With this m ethod, an im p a c to r stage can be c a lib ra te d in a few hours. - Authors' abst. , T he M in e ra l C ontent of B itu m in o u s C oal M i n e r s ' L u n g s. J . V. C ra b le , e t al. ' Am. Ind. Hyg. A ssn. J. 8, 8-12 (Jan. -F eb . 1967). L ung s a m p le s f r o m 30 b itu m in o u s co al m i n e r s h av e been an a ly z e d fo r coal and no n co al d u st. The latter has also been analyzed for quartz, other crystalline substances, and m etallic constitu ents. Initially, the sam ple is freeze dried, and ground in a m ullite ball mill, and suitable j) aliquots a re then digested by the King and G ilc h rist p ro c e d u re . Following the d estru ctio n of the ^ lung m a trix , the total du st is d e te rm in e d g ra v im e tric a lly . The lo ss obtained on igniting the total m ineral residue at 380C rep resen ts the weight of the coal fraction. The resulting non coal resid u e is then a liq u o t'd for the d e te rm in a tio n of q u artz and for the identification of other cry stallin e substances by x -r a y diffraction. The analysis for the m etallic constituents is a c com plished by em issio n spectrography. P article size analysis of the noncoal fraction is conducted by an electron m icroscopic procedure. Seven references are given. - Authors' abat, On the C arcinogenic Effect of A sbestos Dust. F. M. Kogan, et al. G igiena i Sanit. 3U No. 8, 28-33 (1966). R ussian. >. . When the d eath ra te fro m lung c a n c e r betw een 1953 and 1962 was co m p ared am ong asb esto s w ork ers, the town population, and the Sverdlovsk region population, the rate among w orkers was three tim es that of town dw ellers and the rate of the town dw ellers was two tim es that of the general population of the region. The possible causes of increased m ortality among those in haling a s b e s to s d u st a r e d is c u s s e d . T h e re a r e 27 r e f e r e n c e s . - - P ublic H ealth Eng. A b sts . ' i P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S O F T h e ' E N V I R O N M E N T .......| 485 Content and T urnover of W ater in Bantu M iners A cclim atizing to Humid Heat, . W. V . M a c F a r l a n e , e t a l . J . A p p l. P h y s i o l . 21_, 9 7 8 - 9 8 4 (M ay, 1966). W ater content averaged 77% of body w eight in itially . T his fell while av erag e w eight in c re a se d during exposure to heat. T h ere was no general in crease in w ater tu rn o v er during acclim atiz ation. Those subjects in w hom body te m p e ra tu re was well controlled, in creased wate r tu rn over, w hereas those with oral tem peratures frequently above 101F during work, decreased t u r n o v e r by 11%. T h e r e a r e 19 r e f e r e n c e s . - - P u b lic H ealth Eng;. A b sts . 486 A T e st of the E ffectiveness of A cclim atizatio n P ro c e d u re s in the Gold Mining In d u s try , C, H. W yndham, et al. J. Appl. P h y sio l. 1, 1586-1588 (Sept. 1966). The te s t co m p rises a 4-hour exposure at 90F (with the a ir alm ost saturated w ith w ater vapor) a t a n a i r v e lo c ity of 80 f t/m in , and oxygen c o n su m p tio n of 1 l i t e r / m i n (5 c a l/ m i n ) . A s ta tis tic a l technique, b ased upon the sta n d a rd d ev iatio n s of r e c ta l te m p e r a tu r e s , h e a r t ra te s , arid sw eat rates, is presented for judging the results. The test has been applied w here laborers are a c clim atized for service in the gold mining industry, and the resu lts indicate its effectiveness for this purpose. There are 6 references. - - P u b lic H ealth Eng;. A b sts . 487 A bsolute T h re sh o ld s of H uman H earin g . E. R, H erm an n and B. R. Holzman. Am. Ind. Hyg. A ssn. J. 28, 13-20 (Jan. - Feb. 1967). Data obtained from high school students indicate that distributions of hearing thresholds d e te r mined by pmretone a u d i o m e t r y a r e l o g - n o r m a l . A g r a p h i c a l l y s im p lif ie d m a t h e m a t ic a l method for determ ining the loci of absolute thresholds of human hearing is presented, Sound p re s su re le v e ls a t w hich the b est e a r in a pop u latio n f i r s t re s p o n d s to s tim u la tio n a r e so m e 25 to 30 db le s s than m ed ian v a lu e s . An eleg a n tly sim p le equation is d eriv ed for d e te rm in in g the point of origin of a log-norm al frequency distribution, The statistical method developed for this 16. UCC 000450 I n d u s t r i a l l l y g i c m - D i g e s t __________________________ _________ ______________ F e b r u a r y , 1967 182 R heum atoid F a c to r in S c ru m of Individuals Exposed to A sb e sto s, B. P e rn ia , et al. Ann. N .Y . Acad. Sci. 132, 112-120 (D ec. 31, 1965). The p resen ce and tite r of rheum atoid facto rs in the se ra of 315 asb esto s insulation w o rk ers and of 103 c o n tro la w e re d e te rm in e d by conditioned h em ag g lu tin atio n w ith tan n ed re d c e lls coated with a g g r e g a te d h u m a n o r r a b b it g a m m a g lo b u lin s . The a s b e s t o s w o r k e r s w e r e e x p o s e d to the duBt fo r p e rio d s fro m 1 to 54 y e a rs , and m o s t of th e m showed x - r a y ev id en c e of a s b e s to s is that was grad ed into g rad es fro m one to th re e . A definite in c r e a s e in freq u en cy and tite r s of rheum atoid fa c to rs in the c o n tro ls of sam e age and sex, w as found in w o rk e rs w ith a s b e s to s is of g rad es in two and th ree. Sim ila'r serological ab n o rm alities a re found in cases of pulm onary fibro sis of different origin, idiopathic, silicosis, coal w orkers' pneumoconiosis, and sarcoidosis, I 183 O ccupational H a z a rd s of P ip e In s u la to rs . W. T . K eane and M. R. Zavon. -- APCA Abuts. A rch . E n v iro n m en tal H ealth 13, 171-184 (Aug. 1966). In this survey the attem p t has been m ade to investigate all of the substances with which insula^tjhs c o m e in c o n t a c t i n t h e n o r m a l p u r s u i t of t h e i r t r a d e . I n t h e p r e s e n t s t a t e of t e c h n o l o g y , an d WfE),light of existing m ed ical and toxicological data, the m ajo rity of the sub stan ces exam ined proved! incapable of presenting a serio u s health hazard to in su lato rs. The only insulating substance which justifies concern is asb esto s. This re p o rt and other available scientific data at the p re se n t tim e are insufficient to provide an adequately based conclusion. The m o st convincirfg data are those of Selikoff. The further resu lts of his and other investigations will be awaited a rd should con tribute tow ard sound judgm ent of this m a tte r. T h ere a re 155 re fe re n c e s, - - A u thors' su m m ary 184 M alignancies in A sbestos W orkers. J. Lieben. A rc h . E n v iro n m e n ta l H ealth 13, 619-621 (Nov. 1966). " A study of 68 h ospital ad m issio n s with a sb esto sis from an asb esto s textile and friction m aterials, p l a n t i n c l u d e d 21 m a l i g n a n c i e s --, 13 of t h e s e w e r e c a r c i n o m a of th e l u n g an d e i g h t c a r c i n o m a s of o t h e r o rgans. Eighteen of the patients had exposures to asbestos in th eir occupational environm ent for a p e rio d o f 10 to 36 y e a r s . O nly t h r e e p a tie n ts h ad th e i r f i r s t e x p o s u r e a f t e r 1940. E x te n s iv e . dust ontrol m easu res have been instituted by the plant. T here are six referen ces. -- A uthor's sum m ary 185 '' E x p o su re to A s b e s t o s a n d M a l i g n a n c y . A n o n y m o u s . L o n d o n G l i n . M e d . J . T, 1 0 -1 1 ( J a n . 1966). R ecent su rv ey s have shown asb esto s bodies to be p re s e n t in m any.of the otherw ise n o rm al lungs, of those living in clean, non-induBtrial com m unities, suggesting that environm ental contam ination with asbestos dust is w idespread. P erhaps this is not altogether su rp risin g considering the variety of dom estic asbestos products that exist and their wide use in m odern building. P resen t evidence suggests that there is a wide sp ectru m of pathological changes resulting fro m asbestos inhalation. P ro m in en ce was given recen tly to the relationship betw een a sb esto s exposure and mesothelloiyia.i*;, P o ss ib le w id e sp re a d c o m m u n ity con tam in atio n by a s b e s to s c le a r ly c a lls fo r a full a s s e s s m e n t qf1 its carcinogenic p ro p ertie s. Both crysotile and crocidolite have been associated with bronchial carcinom a and m esotheliom a, but am osite has not. It follows that both qualitative and quanti tative analyses of asbestos in tissu es could be m ost helpful in the further elucidation of this problem . In addition the relationship between asbestos exposure, sm oking, and neoplasia fo r- , mation, requires analysis. _ -- APCA Abets. 186 P le u r a l C alcificatio n as a Sign of S ilic a to sis. M . K leinfeld. Am. J. M ed. Sci. 251, 215-224 (Feb. 1966). Of the agents capable of producing a pneum oconiosis, only asb esto s, talc, and m ica (and rarely, fre e silica) have so fa r been in crim in ated in the production of p leu ral calcifications. Such c a lc i fications following silicate exposure m ay vary from a few lin ear o r c irc u la r plaques oyer ths dome of either or both leave* of the diaphragm o r the lateral c h e s t w a ll to f o r m a t i o n of t n e x te n s iv e sh ell over the whole lung field. The configuration m ay be b iz a rre , but the nature of the c a lc i f i c a t i o n u s u a l l y i s r e a d i l y a p p a r e n t on s t a n d a r d p o s i e r o a n t e r i o r and l a t e r a l film s, P le u ra l c a l c i fication is usually a sy m m e tric , The plaques are m ost frequently located over the dome of the d i a p h r a g m r a t h e r th a n in o th e r lung a r e a s . C lin ic a l and e n v ir o n m e n t a l e v a lu a tio n w a s m a d e of e i g h t w o r k e r s s h o w i n g v a r y i n g d e g r e e s of p l e u r a l c a l c i f i c a t i o n f r o m e x p o s u r e to. t a l c , a s b e s t o s , o r m ic a . T he m in im a l d u ra tio n of e x p o su re w as 23 y e a r s and the lo n g e st, 54 y e a r s . R e s p ir a to ry sy m p to m s, chiefly d yspnea, w e re p re s e n t in six. F o u r of the six show ed clubbing. In five, UCC 000451 buhivSt ri.il 1!y ui r m Oig.-wl 1006 A sbestos, An I n trin sic F acto r in the P athogenesis of II ronchoix-nir r-.,-oi........ W ^ r T v T ^ n o l l . T . l i r M a W , ~ m l ' i ; L 7 c r o B r c I i c r ^ Ortnl)cr, I 966 , . . In 55 a s b e s t o s te x t i l e w o r k e r s who had p a th o l o g ic a l ly p r o v e n a s b e s t o s i s , K m alig n an t m-npl-isn . w e re found-- 23 bro n ch o g en ic c a rc in o m a s and five m e s o th e lio m a s of p erito n eu m or pleu ra o r the 2H p a ti e n ts w ith n e o p l a s m s , 26 had h c e n e x p o s e d to a s b e s t o s d u s t b e f o r e 1936; the m e d iu m total o c c u p a t i o n a l e x p o s u r e w as 20 y e a r s . The i n t e r v a l f r o m i n i t i a l e x p o s u r e until th e reco g n itio n of ' the n e o p la s m s v a r ie d fro m 20 to 40 y e a r s . T h irte e n of the in d iv id u als no lo n g er w ere employed ill the ind u stry when evidence of the n e o p la s m s a p p e a re d . The p r i m a r y a n ato m ical site of the carcinom as was in the lower lobes of the lungs in 22 patients and in one instance was m ulticcntric in origin. In the m orphologic c la s s if ic a tio n s of tlio n e o p la s m s, ten w e re of the squam ous cell variety; seven w ere anaplastic; five w ere adenocarcinom a and one was hronchiblar. The frequent a s s o c i a t i o n of p u l m o n a r y a s b e s t o s i s w ith b r o n c h o g e n i c carclnorpva (42%) and m e s o t h e l i o m a (H%), as seen in tins study, lends fu rth er support to the opinion that asb esto s is a carcinogen in susprctiblo individuals after critical exposure in the textile phase of the in d u stry .--A u th o rs' abst. 1007 B io lo g ical A ction of G l a s s D u st. K. S z y m d z y k i w i c z . M e d . P r a c y (Lodz) 16, (4) 263-277 (1965). In ex p erim en tal conditions the biological action of two kinds of dust has been exam ined. were polygonal g lass dust, its g eo m e tric m ean of p a rtic le siz e d is trib u tio n being 2. 5 m ic ro n s, and fi b r o u s d u s t , i t s g e o m e t r i c m e a n b ein g 10. 5 m i c r o n s . S e v e r a l e x p e r i m e n t s w e r e c a r r i e d out. In the first, both kinds of dust w e re a d m in is te re d to ra ts of W is ta r ra c e in dosjss of 0. 5 m g . , 2. 5 mg, , and 5. 0 m g, in the fo r m of su s p e n s io n in 0 .0 2 m l. of 0.9% so d iu m c h lo r id e betw een m e s e n t e r y lam inae of the sm all intestine. The anim als w ere called (sacrificed) after th ree months; the nodules form ed in places of dust injection w ere weighed and exam ined histopathologically. The in c re a se of nodule weight in relation to the m a ss of injected dust was considre to be the m easu re of dust ag g re ssiv e n e ss. It was stated that the m ean in c re a se of nodules weight after polygonal g la s s a d m in is tra tio n am ounted to 3.7% and a fte r fib ro u s g la s s a d m in is tra tio n to 270.0%. In the nodules the developm ent of collagenous fib e rs was ob serv ed . In fu rth e r ex p erim en ts both d u sts (in the am ount of 50 mg. /a n im a l) w e re given by m e a n s of in t r a t r a c h e a l injection to rats, of W istar race and to guinea pigs. The lungs and m ed iastin u m lym phatic glands of the rats were ex am in ed a fte r ten m onths and th o se of guinea pigs a f t e r 22 m o n th s . The h y d ro x y p ro lin e in th lungs was determ ined with Neuman Logan's method, and the histopathological and histochem ical exam inations w ere m ade. In all anim als, statisically significant collagen in c re a se s (pO.Ol) w ere found in co m p ariso n with anim als of the control group; how ever, no difference was seen in .the collagen level in the lungs of anim als which w ere given polygonal and fibrous dusts. Results of h i s t o p a t h o l o g i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n s h av e show n in aLl a n i m a l s a t e l e c t a s i s foci and e m p h y s e m a , fi n e - celled infiltrations around dust deposits and the in c re a s e of acid and n e u tra l m u co p o ly sacch arid es. In anim als which lived over ten months the slight developm ent of silv er absorptive and collagenous fib ers was observed. E m physem a foci and a telectasis w ere g re a te r in anim als which w ere given fibrous glass dust. In anim als which received polygonal dust, the inflam m atory changes were prevalent. In the m ediastinum lymphatic glands, w ere ob serv ed c a ta rrh a l alterations in sinuses, dust deposits, and abortive gigant (sic) cells. F ibrous g lass du st provokes more severe injury of the lungs than polygonal dust. There exists a great probability of the developm ent of fibrous changes of pneum oconiosis-like type when the exposure to g re a t concentration of g lass dust is prolonged. APCA Absts. EDITOR'S NOTE: Assuming that the abstract accurately translates the author s findings, the following co m m ents a re pertinent: (l) Q uantitation of m orphologic changes such as those . of inflam m ation in sections of lung is subjective and-uncertain. When possible, chem ical . d e te rm in a tio n of hydroxyproline as a m e a s u re of connective tissu e p ro life ra tio n is a much m o r e re lia b le in d ic a to r of d e g re e of chronic in fla m m a tio n . The a u th o r 's findings in d icate insignificant difference in hydroxyproline content of lungs exposed to filamentous glass versus those exposed to polygonal g la ss. The a u th o r's p red ictio n s of fibrous changes fro m glass dust e x p o s u r e a r e not s u p p o r te d by his own findings o r by w o r k in o u r own l a b o r a t o r y , (2) As no mention is made of the Ciba Symposium^ definition of em physem a, it is likely tha: the em phy sema* dose ribed m ay be an a rte fa c t. (3) In fla m m a to ry changes o b se rv e d in anim al lungs at autopsy m ay be due to epizootic infection. As they a rc often found in control as veil as e x posed anim als, the g re a te st caution and judgm ent is req u ired to avoid erroneous interpretation. (4) P u lm o n a r y p a th o lo g ical e ff e c ts should not be p r e d ic te d frorh co n n e c tiv e tissue: changes in th e m e s e n t e r y (o r e l s e w h e r e ) , b e c a u s e of b a s i c d i f f e r e n c e s in t i s s u e s and a l s o c o n d it io n s of exposure (i, e. reBpirability of particles). --PG ^ E lb a G u e s t S y m p o s iu m R e p o r t : S y m p o s iu m , S e p t. 1958. T lio rttx 1'1:286, 1951). UGC 000452 Industrial Hygiene Pipes! September. 1966 886 Cancc.r of the Lungs and Other D is e a s e s After Exposure to A sbcstns Dust. K. F . W. Hinson. B r i l . J . D i s e a s e s C h e s t 59, I 21 - I 9 (J u ly , 1965). T h at e x p o s u r e to the f i b e r s of a s b e s to s m ay c a u s e a d is a b lin g anrl fatal f i b r o s i s of the lungs has been recognized for many years. That patients with an established fibrosis (asbestosis) have a high incidence of bronchial c a rc in o m a is a lso known. During the last few y e a rs th ere has been an accum ulation of evidence to suggest that c e rta in pleural or peritoneal tu m o rs rr.ay be associated with a slight, and therefore possibly unrecognized, exposure to these m in erals. The world production of a sb e s to s lias been in c r e a s in g rapidly sin c e 1959 and its in d u s tria l u se s a re becom ing m o re v aried . T h re e v a rie tie s of a sb esto s a re m u st often used in d u strially : c h ry so tilc (white asb esto s) crocidolito (blue asb esto s), and am o sitc. In G reat B ritain, ex p o su re to a sb e sto s duct m ig h t bo to any o r all threw of the above kirn! of a s b e s to s ; on the N o rth A m e ric a n C ontinent it would probably he to ch ry so tilc because of the huge native deposits found in C anada. The author d is c u s s e s briefly the path o g en esis of a sb e sto s, but dw ells m uch m o re on the p o ssib le relatio n sh ip of a s b e s to s ex p o su re and p le u ra l tu m o r s and tu m o rs of the p e rito n e u m . He a ls o re v ie w s the l i t e r a t u r e C o n c e rn in g th e p r o b a b l e a s s o c i a t i o n b e t w e e n a s b e s t o s i s an d c a r c i n o m a of th e lungsjj ", M e n t io n e d a r e th e f i n d in g s of J . G . T h o m s o n and h i s c o - w o r k e r s ( I n d u s t r i a l H y g ie n e D ig e s t,. A;' Abst. 663, July 1963) of the high incidence (26.4%) of asb esto s bodies found in the lung fluid 500 consecutive autopsy subjects in South A frica. One of the au th o rs of the p ap er on those find ings is said to co n sid er that the incidence in M iam i, F lo rid a, would be even hig h er. 7- APCA Absts, 887 A sb e sto s R elated D is e a s e . H. L, H ardy. A m . J. M ed. Sci. 250, 381-389 (Oct. 1965). F our cases of asbestos related disease have been briefly described. Together with past and p re s e n tly accum ulating evidence, epidem iologic and ex p erim en tal, th e se c a s e s illu s tra te the potential hazard posed by asbestos exposure to both w orker and neighbor. The purpose of this rep o rt is to in terest clinicians in the harm ful biologic effects of asbestos already documented. Evidence is im p ressiv e that asbestos exposure, often delayed in effect, will in the future be . . resp o n sib le for an im p o rta n t amount of p u lm onary d ise a se , esp ecially c h e st tu m o rs. In addition ; new evidence points to asbestos exposure as being significantly associated with abdom inal tum ors as well. -- APCA Absts. . 888 C h e m i c a l S t u d i e s o f A s b e s t o s . J . S . H a r i n g t o n . A nn. N . Y . A c a d . S c i. 132, 3 1 - 4 7 (D ec. 31, 1965). 1 * F u rth e r ch em ical studies of the th re e m ain types of a sb esto s, cro cid o lite, am o site, and chrysotilc have been m ade. The o rig in of the p r im a r y oils a s s o c ia te d with c ro c id o lite and a m o site has b een d i s c u s s e d . By su ita b le m e th o d s 0. 32% of e x tr a c t a b l e m a t e r i a l can be r e m o v e d f r o m c ro c id o lite and 0. 28% fr o m a m o s ite . A sa m p le of c o m m e r c i a l a m o s ite known to be c a rc in o g e n ic y ield ed 0.76% of e x tractab le m a te ria l. C hem ical investigations have been m ade of the oils fro m crocidolite and am osite by v arious techniques. Low levels of polycyclic aro m atic hydrocarbons w ere detected. In addition to the p rim a ry oils, a sb e sto s may contain seco n d ary oils d eriv ed fro m contam ination o r fro m the intentional application of oil du rin g p ro c e s s in g in in d u stry . Up to 80% of the ju te oil in th e j u t e b a g s u s e d f o r s t o r i n g a s b e s t o s m a y be a b s o r b e d by t h e a s b e s t o s f i b e r . T h i s c o u ld j} explain why ch ry so tile , w hich a pp aren tly has no p rim a ry oils, m ay contain, a fte r m illing and o t h e r i n d u s t r i a l t r e a t m e n t , y ie ld s of f r o m 0. 1 to 0. 4%. In s u la tio n m a t e r i a l s a ls o c o n ta in s i g n if ic a n t am ounts of e x tractab le m a te ria l. F inally, studies have been m ade to a s s e s s w h e re v e r possible, the part which m etals and m etal com plexes may play in the carcinogenic action. --A PC A Absts. 889 S o m e O b s e r v a t io n s of th e D u st C o n ten t and C o m p o s itio n in L ungs W ith A s b e s t o s i s , M ad e D u rin g W ork on Coal M in e r's P n eu m o con io sis. G. N agelschm idt. A nn. N . Y . A c a d . S c i. J_32, 6 4 -7 6 (D ec. 31, 1965). In the conclusion of this p ap er it is said that the m o st in te re stin g re s u lt of this study of lung tissu e fro m asb esto sis su fferers, was that in over half the lung tissu e sam ples from G reat B ritain and South A fric a p r a c t ic a l ly no a s b e s to s a t all w as found i r r e s p e c t i v e of the g ra d e of f i b r o s i s . It is unlikely that this was due to faulty technique although fu rth e r study of the technique of r e covery of a sb e sto s, e sp ecially of ch ry so tilc, fro m lungs is undoubtedly req u ire d . It is likely that this effect --the disappearance of asbestos from the lungs--is real and needs to be explained. The m o st likely explanation is that a sb e sto s does get dissolved in the lungs. Tbe p ro c e s s of d is solution is likely to sta rt with a rem oval of the cations, m agnesium , sodium, iron, and aluminum, which would leave a skeleton of hydrated silic a o r polysilicic acid. On phy sioc.hemical and stru c tu ra l reasoning one would expect c h ry so tile to be m o st easily attacked, cro cid o lite to be intermediate, and amosite to be the most resistant form, The finding of itmoallu o nly in s o m e of the lung r e s i d u e s w ould be in a g r e e m e n t w ith s u c h r e a s o n in g . The. m o s t p r e v a l e n t ty p e of fibrosis seen in a sb e sto s is a diffuse in te rstitia l fib ro sis, in co n tra st to focal or nodular lesions UCC 000453