Document dQ9zBKNNymLvjOExb1dMzaey9

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: May 5, 1936 DOC#: USG060 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1936 Letter to Owens Illinois Glass Company report on biological activity of glass wool. r U! o p Y ih.^T . . / / ; / -, \! ^ 1 A ;. f t - V. I ` M / / Ia y '5 , , y - ; ' - y_ ' l- 1936 A ' d 1>_>' <H>- - Owens Illinois Glass Company Toledo, Ohio " Gentlemen : Attention: !!r. "/.G.Hazard I submit the following report of an investigation of the biological activity of glass wool undertaken at your request in the Saranac Laboratory. " To determine whether particles of glass wool s- ` capable of producing reaction i n the tissues, suspensions"of finely ground plain and oiled wools were injected into the ear veins of rabbits and the peritoneal cavities of guinea piss Experience in this laboratory and elsewhere has demonstrated that these methods are adeauate to demonstrate the capacity of a mineral dust to produce fibrosis. Investi gation of over 20 different types of dust has indicated that if no reaction occurs in organs other then the lungs, it will not occur in the respiratory tract and that conversely dusts liltQ silica and asbestos that are known to oroducs fibrosis of the lungs also cause fibrosis in other tissues when Injected i^ sufficient quantities, ^either plain or oiled glass wools y aT;,3 caused f ibrosis or a n y chronic'progressive reaction-^ -- injection and therefore It is a reasonableT s s u m o tion"'tHat-*-the ir inhalation would likewise fall*~to produclT~sucH effects'!--- -- ~ ~ . i ' -' .Vf . Glass wool cshr.ct. be. classified as an inert dust for although it causes no progressive fibrosis nevertheless injection of large amounts into the oeritcneal cavity of the sruinea nic: usually produces imrodlate death. Aooarently this j> ^ue t0 the presence of sodium silicate which has a similar actionl Animals surviving this immediate effect develoo no c'-m^ic* changes. This action of the glass could hardly occur* in the lungs of a person inhaling it because the concentration, could never be great enough to produce such an effect. * *" To determine 'whether the ingesti on of glass wool particles is .capable of in-:u.rinc the stomach 2vy intestine s guinea pigs were fed 2.5 cc. of'a 20 ocr cent C' spensi on of glass particles mixed wii-h. 'heir a m i n 6 dnvs 2 weekf ever a r O' o. Q o O I lb p&ge 2 period from 4 to 17 weeks, with proper precautions that all of the material was consumed. Another group received two doses totaling from 0.575 to 0.8 gm. of glass particles, in v/ater suspension, by stomach tube before the morning feedings. When the animals were killed, 4 to 17 weeks later, no trace of the glass or injury produced by it could be discovered in any part pf the alimentary tract.. Therefore l,t is concluded that the Ingestion of even e x c e ssive q u a n t i t i e s of glass wool particles 160 microns or less in diameter, procuees no injury. The details of these various experiments are summarised as follows: Preparation of dusts B oth plain wool a n d oiled glass wool containing 11 % oil were crushed in an agate mortar and then ground with water in a porcelain ball mill for 432 hours. It was then nearly dry; more water was added and the milling was continued for another : 408 hours. The material remo v e d from the mill was placed in a *' large beaker and allowed to stand over night. Examination of the supernatant fluid showed a hig h concentration of particles 1 to 3 microns in diameter. '.7ith the oiled glass some of the oil had separated in the process of grinding and this had to be discarded but examination showed considerable oil in the suspension that was subsequently prepared. The concentration was adjusted with water to 1% and sufficient sodium chloride v/as added to make the suspension isotomic with the body fluids. Intravenous injections. - a) Plain glass wool - 4 rabbits received 1 gram of 1 to 3 micron particles in 2C injections of 5 cc each, administered bi-weekly. ' ' . '' Rabbit frl4 died, probably of cerebral embolism, .on the d a y following the last injection. Such accidents are' not "uncommon in 'this type of Injection. Autopsy showed no gross evidence of disease. In microscopic sections, collections of dust containing phagocytes were found in the lungs, spleen and liver. Frequently these cells were of the giant variety ana they contained 'masses of glass fragments. There was no evidence of inflammatory change about them. Gf0.?l 0994 . Rabbit yl3 was killed 15 days after completing the injections. There were no gross chan ires and the microscope revealed Identical reactions tc those in #14, except that dust cells row occurred in the lymph node draining the liver. Rabbit*, o ^ k*' lied a*,ieT' "'ST dms. was no different from chat in #13. '"''o picture page 3 Rabbit #11 was killed after 259 days. There was absolutely no gross evidence of reaction to,dust, l.lcroscopic sections have not yet been made as the animal was not killed until yesterday. b) Oiled glass v/ool - 4 rabbits received 1 gm. of 1 tc 3 micron particles in 20 Injections of 5 cc. each, , . administered .bi-weekly. , ...... Rabbit #1 was killed 143 days after comolsting the injections. There were no gross changes and the microscope revealed a reaction indistinguishable from that in rabbit #13. Rabbit #2 was killed after 181 days - the picture was . the same. Rabbit #3 was killed after 285 days. Like # 1, the animal showed absolutely no gross evidence of disease. Microscopic examination will not be completed in time to be included in this report. Rabbit # 4 is still alive and apparently well. It will be allowed to live for one year but there is no reason to suspect that it will develop furt^e^ reaction. These results are in every way comoarable to those observed with inert dusts. Aluminum o x i d e f e l d s p a r , fluorspar and 3 types of sericite have all shows similar reactions. Un- corhined silica, on th.6' other hand, oroduces acute inflammations followed b y progressive fibrosis in the various organs. The liver shows a massive fibrosis that reduces the organ to a * distorted mass of scar and the spleen is enlarged and studded wi nodules. No microscope is necessary to discover the results of the injections which b e g i n to be manifested before all the si'M - h.a3 been injected. . v In tracer it one'sl injections ' . a) Plain V/ool 5660 IZOctD nr two were dead. The opening then the neri*pc- rticuls riy in the re dust that were scotte fferent organs. The n dilc ted wifh ,~f.s po ge 4 F abdominal distention but this disappeared within a week. They were killed later while apparently well. ^18, killed after 23 weeks , showed 3 minute grey-white patches on the surface of the peritoneum that the microscope revealed to be clumps of phagocytes coh..taining. particles of dust There was no fibrosis. #6 and # 8, killed after 34 weeks, showed no gross evidence of reaction but in micros conic sections a few compact collections of dust cells could be found on the surface of the omentum. * b ) QUed Wool Four guinea pigs were injected into the nerlton^al cavity w i t h 2 cc, of a 10$ suspension of the 1 to 3 .' micron oiled glass particles described above. On the following morning all were dead with the same evidences of an acute poisoning described in the plain glass grdup, The test was repeated on 4 more guinea pi-ns. This time only one animal was dead the next day but another died on the third day and the other two on the fourth. All showed the sane evidences of acute ooisoning ir the peritoneal cavity. ' - ` To control this experience two guinea pigs w ar injected intraperitonaally witlTthe same'quantit^ of gwd9red sodfcun silicate. They likewise died <! within 24 hours and exhibited the seme tyoe of r e O' O' action in the peritoneal cavity. Unpublished data t irom another laboratory corroborates this effect of intraceritoneal injection of sodium silicate. Oj o a o This reaction is- unusual and has not beer, observed after th9 injection of. .other tvees of dust w h 1ch include a variety of silicates'.' Furthermore the introduction of a smaller dose of pure sodium s^l^cs directly into the lunes has not produced this result. In 1923 a group.of 15 guinea sirs was given tracheal injections totalise lx r.rras. of sodium" silicate and none of them showed any adverse evr.rt-- s, The conditions in this exnerinen^ we^* ' those in the present one as the dose was divided and administered in 7 injections djring a period of approximately a month. No animal received more ths~ 2 mgms. at any one time. Nevertheless, it seems not unlikely that if ^his silicate were ncisonou" v^on administered directly into the junrs seme of the*"* animals mi.-hi have shown, sync-oms. be conclude l tv a human heir.to inhale toxic lUantity of sod: .urn lorn of1 glass w 00`i dust". fsrtalrlv it car b > like]-:ili :ate 4^ *V>- .V ..t-.'.*-..ini'-- w-f; \ K r*-- PSC3 5 Ingestion Experiment-. . These tests were performed with olain eiass wool n-h sS -rertous teats had Indicated that the oiled - l - e r ^ i i h ^ act differently. ",a'erikttA ala no^ with fr*om ^ 5 : " S inSL plsa Were in*ected b7 stomach tube ?.'c c * of a- 5^ suspension- of glass wool Ground in diamei^ I*' r rtiCleS 100 * ^ o n s aAd l e s s e n r e TM a t e d ' a h t n ep^ ? " L -11 affect3 30 injections -.vere r e l a t e d after 23 uays. This time doses of g md' 5 cc or a 10^ suspension were employed and again there we-e no s ^ o t o r l '"he total doces for the 4 animals were as f o l l m t ''-pt0r-J ' 'Le /?4. . . . 1.5 cc (575 mgm) //! 2.0 co (600 mgm) ,?3. . . 4to V <- 4 oo (700 mgm) <5 cc (800 mgm) (l.ote that those totals were ircorrectly l'o-nnutcj >-1 preliminary statement of Jan. 08, 1935) ' " * , Since there was no apparent reaction to these irmec^cT's C`-5Cj-asd to continue the administration o" ^he 'hs''" U Q ^r"I * a 20,1 a p e r s i o n mined v.-lth a snail tertian of n-nin ^ d to ^ animals before they mere jlver. thc-lr reG'JlR." nonnir.- rst'on. "v... 4 guinea pigs and 5 other ones were the^e^o^^ n~s, o*f 'gl*ass 6 days a week until they weres v-iilied. The following table summari their treatment; Animal So. Ola os b y b'.'-- aob Tube l3t z debing-2nd .eecling llc-ss with Food total 0. 'at icr. --eedin; 0 -.3 gm. 0.? ym. - o ^tU, O.f ~m. --O'-J oa r rr 13.8 27.2 1 0.1 0.5 " 26.5 " 27.1 oo 0.075" 0.5 " 39.5 " 40.75 94, 13.0. " 13.0 30 76.5 " . 26.5 61 6 o hi *1 39.5 92 51 !o '' 51.0 119 9 =-1tw', "1 e 5 119 " ' /% If *J i. nv. As animals were h i l l e ~ t h e i r i'-oeewinal tram ashed and c a r e f u l l y examined for gross evidence of ir.- flsrmr t io n . hone were found in the mou'h , 9jo-'-f l T ' " _to,,V~ fsl small 0L M l - e I n t e s t i n e . Fepror.rrr.ative c > - - e ' i f ' U c h ' ? o r i o e. of the 1l 1 * C t 2 n d O x ^ p 1 r-n mVi ^ QCi ^ ` p p r 0'*r3^- o micros aspic section. Vd -> - - r- ** sny icr li lee irflict*enh V, -- ?nC; rv`v ;v -' "'v w . .At c p ,. Zt3Z~-&i3ur page 6 1 , _.*ie m a 7 therefore conclude that the Ingestion o r ss aa f 1 racis of finely pcv.sered glass wool, administered ir divided doses, will net cause lniur-"' ir 4 months tire 'r^t-bp * absence of any reaction at all it -.vouid bardiv seem elseS'iai to continue the investigation further. ' * worn, ?he S 3? f ral cncl^-sion that both oiled and olair glass wools are incapable of exciting progressive fibrosis In the tissues is warranted from these observations in view of th v/id laborator7 with these methods of testirg the" biological activity of inorganic dusts. . 5 .re Trusting that these findings may allay any acertlcism as to theoretical hazard involved from the handling of*glass Y/OOl, I am LUG.-CC Very truly yours, Leroy U. Gardner, M.D. Director Rabbit #3 - killed after 365 da^s " #4 - M . " 285 " They showed no further change. 6**021 0 998 T'dr" 1