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The Chemical World This W k VC C'.'2. .O So far three major resin produc ran. cube ua cum ers--Dow Chemical, Monsanto, and Union Carbide--have spelled out large and wide-ranging price in creases for resins following the CLC action. These boosts eoine alter a The growing suspicion that expo another four liver disease cases ut vear in which listed chemical prices sure to vinyl chloride has led to the the plant under investigation, in have moved up relatively modestly. deaths of polyvinyl chloride workers volved persons who cleaned poly According to Labor Department from a most rare form of liver can merization reactors after this step data, the price index for plastics cer has apparently been reinforced. in the suspension process for BVC. resins and materials moved up A research study in which ruts ex BFG has used a less hazardous 4.1% between December 1972 and posed to high levels (apparently cleaning process for the past five December 1973. For chemicals and 30,000 p.p.rn.) of vinyl chloride years, however. allied products the gain was 4.97o. vapor also develop angiosarcoma of Significantly, the latency period Of course, the "gray market" price the liver was slated to be disclosed for most cancers to develop nearly for resins and many other chemical publicly in the U.S. by lJrof. Cesare products has been spiraling upward Maltoni of the University of Bo for some months. logna. Italy, just after press time. Among the recent price moves Tin1 study has been supported by a Monsanto has posted increases of 5 consortium of European firms, in cents a pound on bulk shipments of cluding Imperial Chemical Indus polystyrene resins, und increases of tries (C&EN, Keb. 11, page 8). 4 cents a pound on bulk acryloni- What's more, the view that the trile-butadiene-stvrene (ABS) and deaths arc an isolated event limited styrene^ucrvlonitrile (SAN) resins. to just one of M. F. Goodrich's U.S. plants and not proved to be occu pationally linked is fust disappear ing. Four angiosarcoma deaths now New price for general-purpose poly styrene is 19 cents a pound. Truckload quantities of ABS resins now range from 32 to 45 cents a pound, have been confirmed at the BFG and SAN in truckload bags is plant instead of thy three revealed 27 cents a pound. Monsanto says earlier (C&EN. Jan. 28, page 6). that "these increases are consistent Another diagnosed case of angiosar with the Cost of Living Council ac coma occurred in an IC1 employee tion of Jan. 30" and rdloct in who worked in a U.K. vinyl chlo matches the great growth in the creased cost of raw materials, ener ride operation for 20 years, sources U.S. PVC industry that has taken gy, and distribution, among other in the U.K. and U.S. sav. place over the past two decades or factors. The clustering of the four BFG so. NIOSH estimates there are 5000 Dow. citing reasons much the cases "cannot be explained by workers at risk in U.S. PVC plants same as Monsanto's, has raised the chance alone," Dr. Marcus M, Key, and 1500 at vinyl chloride plants. price of Ua general-purpose |M>lvsty- director of the National Institute NIOSH will contract out an epi rene from 17 to 26 cents a pound. for Occupational Safety and demiology study that will be inde ABS and SAN now go for 32 Health, told those at a Cleveland pendent of the study "on workers al cents a pound, up from 23.5 and briefing on the cancer hazard ear ready under way at member firms 24 cents a pound. Brice of high- lier last week. of the Manufacturing Chemists As density injection- and blow-mold What action the U.S. takes, if sociation. MCA's results will not be ing polyethylene was increased any, beyond interim procedures ready for "at least two to three from 14.5 to 18.5 cents a pound. NIOSH has recommended hinges months," a spokesman says. Ear Dow's low-density film-grade |>oly- upon the outcome of a fact-finding lier, MCA halted circulation of its ethylene is now 17 cents a pound, hearing ut the Labor Department 1972 safety data sheet on vinyl up from 13 cents. The company on Fen. 15. Prof. Maltoni, BFG, chloride, which stated that human says that these new prices still do Dow' Chemical, organized labor, carcinogenicity had not been ob not match those of the world mar and others were scheduled to testi served. ket but should help it compete on fy. the world market for petrochemical AFL-C10 was to present a uni fied, organized labor position urg Plastic prices feedstocks. Carbide's new prices for high- ing the department to promulgate get big boostsan emergency temporary standard, densitv injection- and blow-mold ing polyethylene are the same as a procedure used earlier for 14 Dow s. but its low-density film other carcinogens. Dr. V. K. Rowe, As U.S. chemical makers sort out grade is a bit higher at 18.5 cents a Dow's top toxicologist, was expect the fine points of the recent Cost of pound. SAN is now 28 cents a ed to oppose this procedure, asking Living Council action relaxing pound, up from 22 cents, while instead for regular rule-making for Phase IV price controls on petro nigh-impact polystyrene increased a permanent standard. He suggests chemicals, plastics resins, and syn from 16.5 cents a pound to 21.5 the deaths result from gross expo thetic fibers (C&EN. Feb. 4, page cents a pound. Carbide raised the sure 10 to 80 years in the past. 4), price hikes are being announced tab on its polyvinyl chloride resin All four BFG deaths, as well as with resin makers leading the way. suspensions by 5 cents bringing the CUSAROSS 02780