Document b57LwzazM1XOKRyB7Zb63o0o1

Asbestos Dust Called a Hazard To at Least One-Fourth of US By JANE E. BRODY New York Times (1923-Current file); Mar 2, 1966; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2007) pg. 83 '' Asbestos Dust Called a Hazard To at Least One-Fourth of U. S, By JANE E. BRODY Asbestos dust, which has at struction workers and their ready been connected with families. the development of fatal can According to the findings of cer in one-half of asbestos three recent limited studies, the workers* may be a potential dangers might extend to the health hazard for one-quarter general population. The studies, of the population or more, it which involved autopsies on was reported yesterday. 1,100 persons in three cities, This preliminary finding was showed that 25 per cent of the described by Dr. Irving J. Seli- people had asbestos lodged in koff in announbing ithe estab- their lungs, lishment of an environmental Dr. Selikoff explained that health laboratory at Mounti{*"${ Sloped 5"* J1* .laboratory ffl lnYestigaJe ^become coated by an iron-rich ^ material while lodged in the other environmental contanu- jungSi a. more refined technique nants. Dr. _ ^ween ... r, .. cancer saajn(Ld , now shows that many persons asbestos hbearrsbo,,r wnoenllcohaetesdaida.sbestos fi- had led him to suspect that _ ', .. other mineral dusts that con- New Study Started taminate both urban and rural Dr. Selikoff and his col air might create medical haz- leagues at the new laboratory ards for the public. have started a three-year study The new laboratory will be in which they will: headed by Dr. Selikoff, who, ^Examine, with the de- with Dr. Jacob Churg, found ceased's family's approval, the that asbestos workers eventu- lung tissue of the 3,000 to 4,000 ally showed six to seven times persons expected to die in the the normal death rate from lung next two years at Mount Sinai, cancer and three times the nor- Elmhurst Hospital and Veter- mai death rate from cancer of ans Hospital in the Bronx. The the stomach, colon and rectum, doctors will look for uncoated Other Workers Affected as well as coated asbestos fibers Dr. Selikoff noted that the in the tissues. _ dangers of exposure to asbestos *5Look for correlations be- dust were not limited to those tween the causes of death and who work" directly with this the presence of asbestos fibers ubiquitous insulator and filler in lung tissue, material. The dangers, he said, *3Determine the occupational extend to workers in "contigu- history of the deceased and their ous trades," such as other con- relatives and other pertinent background information. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral highly valued for its noncor rosive and long-wearing prop erties. In addition to its common1 use as a fireproof material, Dr. Selikoff said, asbestos makes up about 50 per cent of asphalt tile and is used in dental cement, brake linings, plastics, beer fil ters, gas masks and paper. Until last year, some schools used asbestos dust instead of sand for children to play in. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.