Document b8yrRao3yax0KkEMXeGZxyy1

THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION OF OHIO Rfchfd F. Clwia One Government Center Suite 1173 Jackson and Erie Streets Toledo, Ohio 43604 August 24, 1988 Legal Section Industrial Commission of Ohio 246 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 RE: OD 193055 Nathaniel Harwell Koppers Co. Toledo, Ohio Attn: Judy Spencer Dear Ms. Spencer: The Toledo Coke Company's Safety Director, Jacque Brown was contacted by phone on August 3, 1988. The Koppers Company, Toledo was sold and became the Toledo Coke Company. The claimant was also interviewed by phone. I toured Koppers during previous investigations. The claimant is diagnosed as having emphysema by Dr. David K. Sheer M.D. HEALTH HISTORY The claimant smoked cigarettes from 24 to 34 years. The investigation report states, "I (claimant) stopped smoking cigarettes in 1977 and have not had one since then. Four paragraphs later the claimant says, "In February, 1986, Dr. Sheer told me I had emphysema. He told me I had to get off the cigarettes, and put me on a medication." This is the reason for the smoking history range. WORK HISTORY The claimants work history is from the facsimile file and his interview. 1956 - 1970 Local 500 Laborers Union - General laborer for concrete contractors. He did not mix dry ingredients. The work was sporadic. t OD 193055 Nathaniel Harwell Page*2 1970 - 1978 Interlake Iron - This pig iron smelter was sole user of the coke now produced by Toledo Coke Company. The claimant poured liguid iron from ladles into pig molds. He did not work at the furnaces or coking operations. 1978 - 1987 - Hoppers Co. - This company retained the Interlake coking operation. The claimant filled the'coke ovens with coal, from openings in the top. This job is called lidman. EXPOSURE POTENTIALS Concrete Work Exposure to unknown concentrations and duration to concrete dust and Portland cement is probable. Both are considered nuisance type dusts. After 20 years exposure to Portland cement 195 of 2278 workers involved in the manufacture of Portland cement showed lung markings on x-ray films. There were no symptoms referable to the chest. Cement plane workers with five years of exposure showed symptoms including wheezing and chronic bronchitis. Lung tissue reaction to nuisance dusts do not change the architecture; air spaces remain intact. Scar tissue is not formed to any significant degree and tissue reaction is potentially reversible. Iron smelting The iron oxide fume generated in the pouring operation can cause a benign pneumoconisis called siderosis. X-ray changes are observed after 6 to 10 years but lung function changes do not occur. Coke Operations Coke is the carbonaceous residue of destructive distillation of bituminous coal. At Toledo Coke (Hoppers) there are 51 ovens, each 8 feet high, 20 - 40 inches wide and 25 - 30 feet deep. The coal is loaded, through lids, from the top by lidmen. The coke is ejected from the ovens by a hydraulic ram moving through the oven fan side to side. The coke is poured into railroad cars and sprayed with water to cool it. As a lidman, the claimant said he was supplied with either a tank type air purifying respirator or a cloth type mask. He said the respirator was very restrictive and he opted for the mask frequently. The mask and respirator type were unavailable from Mr. Brown. 3 OD 193055 Nathaniel Harwell Page.3 The claimant said that personal air samples were obtained on him and fellow workers. The sample results were never revealed to him. An Industrial Commission claim OD 189927 dated May 26,- 1987 may provide some insight into lidman exposures to coke oven emissions (COE) at Koppers. There are no.Koppers environmental exposure results from COE as provided by Mr. Brown. Time Period 3rd Quarter 1981 4th Quarter 1981 Exposure Ranges - BSFTPM 0.04 - 0.86 milligrams per cubic meter of air mg/m3 0.56 - 0.84 mg/m^ OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.1029 (Coke Oven Emissions) defines COE as the benzene - soluble fraction of the total particulate matter (BSFTPM) . In addition, a four year study of coke oven emissions and employee exposure levels showed that the lidmen were among the lightest exposed workers. The BSFTPM mean exposure was 0.38 mg/m3. A section on Coal Tar Emissions in the Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety 1983, published bv the International Labor Organization reinforces this premise. HEALTH EFFECTS COE Coke oven emissions are a complex mixture of particulates, vapors and gases which include numerous polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) many of which are carcinogenic. High respiratory mortality, among coke workers in Great Britain, is reported. Kidney and lung cancer was relatively prevalent among American coke oven workers exposed 5 years or more. Animal studies .ndicate lung and kidney tumors by coal tar aerosols. When aerosol concentrations are maintained below 0.2 mg/m3, any increase in the incidence of lung and other tumors, due to occupational exposure should be minimal. The PAHs include, but are not limited to, Benz (a) anthracene, chrysene, pyrene and benzo(a) pyrene; all which are carcinogenic. There are many other PAHs which do not cause cancer including fluorathene, naphthacene and pentaphese. PAHs can be found almost everywhere; in the air, soil and water. The trace amounts result from forest fires and volcanoes. PAHs occur in tobacco smoke and grilled, smoked and fried foods. The primary exposure to human^ is the industrial sources of coal tars and coke oven emissions. 00 193055 Nathaniel Harwell Page- 4 Chemical Hazards of the Workplace by Proctor and Hughes notes that mortality from lung cancer for lidmen is 2.5 times the expected rate. These figures are for five or more years as a lidman. As employment length increases so doos mortality. Twenty years experience shows a lung cancer rate twenty times the normal rate. Discussion The definitions of emphysema and chronic bronchitis are presented to differentiate them from lung cancer. Emphysema is characterized by abnormal, permanent enlargement of airspaces distal to terminal bronchitis, accompanied by destruction of their walls. Radiographic features, together with increased lung volumes (total lung capacity being the crucial measurement; whereas increased vital capacity may provide the clue on screening exams are currently utilized as accept able criteria with which to distinguish the emphysema component in subjects with "chronic obstructive airways disease. "But, the combined use of historical, physiological and radiographic criteria permit recognition and diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, emphysema alone or both. Chronic bronchitis is a recurrent cough which occurs without localized bronchopulmonary disease. Phlegm or sputum is also present for at least three months of two sequential years. It's clinical definition adds a^ third qualifying criterion; dyspnea and/or airways obstruction. Smoking O Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema. Conclusion Coke oven emissions^ are a causative agent in chronic bronchitis, not emphysema. PAHs are primarily carcinogens. The claimant's exposure to unknown concentrations and duration of COEs at Koppers is reasonable. A cause and effect relation to COE exposures at Koppers and the claimants' diagnosis is suspect. Richard Wilder Industrial Hygienist RW/dr r 4. Occupational Exposure to Coke Oven Emissions from 1978 - 83 D Keimig PhD. Archives of Environmental Health V41 Mo. 6. TLVs 1988 ACGIH Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles. 6. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety International Labour Organization Coal Tar Emissions. 7. Occupational Respiratory Diseases 1986 NIOSH Pg. 503 Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. Cigarette Smoking - American Lung Association 6-85 10171. 9. Occupational Respiratory Diseases - National Institute of Safety and Health 1986 Pg. 504 86 - 102.