Document b5Rjq9jGXbDLXNBovaRJzyd3k

K K CASE STtn^Y pvc sr:fr::sTQw f;.' v - pa.' cawm Testimony of V. C, Kowe at Public Hearing on VCM (OSHA) February 15. 1'.`74 "Our Polymer Plant -l was operated from 1946 to 1972. between 1950 and 1959, several industrial hygiene surveys were card'- .icJ. A number of job classifications (polymerizer operators, drier operator.', monomer still opera- * tors, and monomer transfer operators) had workplace cnvivc-r.menta 1 ' levels ranging from 50 to 385 ppm vinyl chloride. After ir.st.nl let ion of a continuous analyzer for the workplace air in 1959, improvements were achieved. Vinyl chloride TWA values ranged from 25 to 85 pp::. during the period I960 - 1967." "Our present Polymerization Plant, Polymer Plar.c dumber Two, began operation in 1953. Historically the TWA values have been decreased over this period of tine. In the early history, TWA values of i"3 240 ppm were ob served. During 1973/ TWA values for vinyl crloriie ir the air were in the 1 to 25 .ppm range. " * * Mutchler. J. E. Kramer, C. ", * "Report on Relation of Exposure to State of Health of Dow Chemical Workers" - Gorden Conference. Tilcon, K.H., August, 1968 - TLV Citation UCC 090677 INDUSTRY PROFTIj: PVC resin production in the United States approximated 4,600,000,000 pounds in 1973: Number of producers (domestic) 22 0 Number of Plant locations 36 Number of producers by process: Suspension / - 22 Dispersion - 10 Bulk Non-solvent - 4 Solvent -1 Number of Production Workers: Emulsion 5,045 -3 Relative to the number of domestic plants manufacturing P/C resins, only four plants have been identified as having a possible connection between vinyl chloride exposure and the development of angiosarcoma in workmen; ten of the twelve- cases being traced to two plant locations. UCC 090678 Plant N't. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 rVf: PIA NT I,OGMTONS U.S. PRODUCERS - 1974 r Plant Startup Date 1957 1963 1961 1963 1946 1966 1968 1954 1953 1960 1970 1946 1956 1956 1956 1966 1963 1936 1947 1959 1955 1950 1971 1953 1965 1947 1965 1965 1942 1969 )955 1968 1965 1967 1957 1949 No, of PVC Workers 64 46 80 155 75 158 120 130 300 40 55 300 60 27 76 140 187 272 140 74 150 74 30 241 200 350 70 180 . 266 90 98 150 95 160 70 322 Reported Cases Angiosarcoma -, ' ' 0 0 o 0 0 0* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 _ X- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (12) UCC 090679 y (13) UNITED STATES PVC PLANTS DURATION OF RESIN MANUKACTURE Span of Operations 1 Co 5 Years 6 Co 10 Years 11 to 15 Years 16 Co.20 Years 21 Co 25 Years More chan 26 Years Number of Planes 3 9 6 8 4 6 UCC 090680 X GENERAL CON'S I PERM'I Oh'S Various parties involved in considering the possibility that vinyl chloride monomer is a causative agent of angiosarcoma in humans recognize: - that as of this date no definite connection has been established between angiosarcoma among workers and any of the major chemical raw materials used in polymeriza tion of PVC. However, vinyl chloride monomer, being a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon, is the primary tar- / get due to its being the abundant raw material to which * workers might have had the most exposure. - that vinyl chloride is not the only raw material in volved in resin production in the two plants where mul tiple. cases of angiosarcoma have been identified among workers; acrylates, vinylidene chloride among others have been listed as additional reactants. - that no rationalization has yet been published as to why the lack of angiosarcoma among workers in the vast majority of F.'C plants employing the same basic processes for resin manufacture; none among workers in other plants of the same producers reporting multiple cases of angio sarcoma in single plant locations. - that the development of angiosarcomas of the liver de veloped in animals exposed to vinyl chloride has been used to postulate that VCM is the etiologic agent in the excess of deaths due to angiosarcoma of the liver in PVC workers. A study of the possible Impact of exposure in other work situations, of the eating and drinking habits of the afflicted workers, and of other complicating health problems has not been made. (14) UCC 090681 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and liealth (XIOSH) has branded VG-J as a potential health hazard to PVC workers primarily on the basis of inductive reasoning, Yet the health experience of workers In the 36 PVC poly- n.nrl nation platjts indicates that no serious health problems exists generally in PVC plants vidi but two exceptions. *' !<;y 28, 1974 * A. B. Steele ucc 090682 X" PJh THE SOCIETY OF THE PLASTI^ 2SO PARK AVENUE NEW YORK. NEW Y QUKSTIONNAIKE HESULiTS ON VINYL CHLd EXPOSURE LEVELS 1. Cdor of vinyl chloride monomer present throughout NO - 21 plants, YES - 7 plants; Average nuabe| Before i960 - 6 plants, 1960-1970 - 3 plants. After 1970 - 1 plant 2. Odor of VCM present occasionally during the work day. NO - 3 plants, YES - 25 plants; Average number of years - 11.3 Before i960 - 10 plants, i960-1970 - 23 plants, After 1970 - 19 plants 3. Odor of VCM a rare event in any vork day. NO - 3 plants, YES - 25 plants; Average number of years - 2.9 Before i960 - 0 plants, 1960-1970 - 6 plants, After 1970 - 25 plants 4. Have there been process or processing changes introduced which have resulted in an increased escape of VCM? NO - 23 plants, YES - 5 plants; Average number of years - 2.6 Before i960 - 2 plants, 1960-1970 - 3 plants. After 1970 - 1 plant 5. Have there been process or processing changes introduced which have resulted in a reduction in the escape of VCK? NO - 1 plant, YES - 27 plants Before i960 - 4 plants, 1960-1970 - 12 plants, After 1970 - 2k plants 6. Do you have environmental measurements prior to 1970? NO - 2k plants, YES - 4 plants PERSONNEL EXPOSURE DATA 1. When did the plant start to work with VCM? 1940-1950 - 4 plants, 1951-1960 - 12 plants, 1961-1970 - 10 plants 1971- 1974 - 2 plants UCC 090683 / -2- 2. Hcv many employees are working with VCM? Total - 3957 employees. Average per plant - l4l employees 3. How many employees are still working for you who once worked with VCM hut do not do so now? Total - 1503 employees. Average per plant - 54 employees 4. Of the persons Identified in 2 and 3 above give the number who have been exposed for the following time intervals. Total employees Average per plant More than 1 and up to 10 years 10 and up to 15 years 15 and up to 20 years 20 and up to 25 years 25 years and more 3515 6ll 286 244 128 126 22 10 9 5 5* Of the persons identified in 2 ami 3 above give the number falling within each latent period given below and considering only employees with more than one year of service. A latent period is the time lapse frco first exposure to the present date. Total employees Average per plant More than 1 and up to 10 years 10 and up to 15 years 15 and up to 20 years 20 and up to 25 years 25 years and more 2916 768 354 257 128 104 27 13 9 5 DATA FROM CURRENT EXAMINATION PROGRAMS 1. Give the number of persons who have been examined since January, 1974. Total * 7232 employees of which 2773 include retirees and 4457 exclude r tirees 2. Were liver profile studies made? NO - 3 plants (representing 132 employees), YES - 25 plants(representing 7100 employees) 3. Did the studies include at least bilirubin, SCOT, LDH and alkaline phosphatase? NO - 3 plants (representing 132 employees), YES - 25 plants (representing 7100 employees) UCC 090684 3- 4. How many of those examined shoved an abnormality in: Total employees Average per plant one test two tests three tests or more one test two tests three tests or more 957 56 (17 plants) 162 11 (15 plants) 78 8 (10 plants) i of total __________ $ of those incl. retirees ^ of those excl. retirees 13.2 2.2 1.1 3l*.5 5.8 2.6 21.5 3.6 1.8 5. Have you had any cases of angiosarcoma? NO - 22 plants, YES - 3 plants, Incaaplete data 2 plants 6. Was this determination made by your own survey? NO - 2 plants, YES - 22 plants. Partly - 1 plant. Incomplete data - 2 plants 7. What percent of the total exposed population vas covered in the surv y? 95*5$ of total exposed 8. Were retired personnel included? NO - ih plants, YES - 9 plarrtB, Not applicable car no data - 2 plants 9. Were persons who had left your employ and gone to work elsewhere incited? NO - 19 plants, YES - 8 plants 10. Did you review causes of death of those who died while still employed by you? NO - 3 plants, YES - 22 plants. Not applicable - 2 plants 11. Did your plant participate in the Tabershaw-Cooper epidemiologic survey? NO - 7 plants, YES - 20 plants UCC 090685