Document dQx1e67MZRZxR2qDdoay5xemB

ASBESTOSIS RESEARCH COUNCIL SECOND ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS BEGINNING LST OCTOBER, 1958 1. INTRODUCTION The Asbestosis Research Council was established cn the 1st October, 1957* This report details the activities sponsored by ths Council during the second year of its operation. 2. APPLICATIONS FOP, fBOERSHIP There have been so applications. 3. COft'.ITTZZS The work of the Council has continued under the guidance of the Managesent Committee and the Research Consulttee. The menbership of these Coealtteea during the year was - (a) Management Cccsaittee Chairman* Sir William Fenton Mr. R. Barber Mr. T. C. Hale Mr. A. A. Cross Mr. N. A. Morling Mr. J. Waddell Secretary: Mr. D. W. Hills Followed by Dr. S. Holmes -British Belting 4 Asbestos Ltd* a eae a Cape Asbestos Co., Ltd. a se Turner Brothers Asbestos Co* Ltd* e e a see aa a aa The Management Corr-ittee net in London on 29th October, 1958* (b) Research Corolttee Chairman: Secretary: Foliated by Dr. J. F. Knox Dr. C. G. Addinglay Dr. W. H. Ac ***verley Dr. R. Gate Dr. W. J. Smithar Mr. E. L. Dawson Mr. D, V. Hills Dr. S. Holmes Turner Brothers Asbestos Co. Ltd* British Belting & Asbestos Ltd* a a sa a Cepe Asbestos Co. Ltd* ae aa Turner Brothers Asbestos Co. Ltd. aa a aa aa a aa Executive Mcab.. I , -. P. Xnax The Research Committee met four times j at Cambridge on 15th December, 1553 and 28th September, 1959, at Reading on 13th April, 1959, and in Iondon on 29th June, 1559. Continued FINANCE (*) Banking Arrangements Tha finances of the Council have continued to be administered through an account operated by the Rochdale ui'&nwh of the district sank* (b) Research Committee Budget and Expenditure Research Budget 5000# -e. -d. Research ExpenditureUl5h. 19s. 2d. It should be noted that the sun of 350. -s. -d. was set aside for a microscope for the Council's work at Cambridge. This has been ordered and delivery is expected shortly. Further, the sum of 500. -s. -d. Toted for work on "The Physics of Asbestos Oust Clouos" has not been drawn upon. Full details of the Council's Income and Expenditure are given in Appendix 1. 5. LIAISON' WITH THE FACTORY DEPARTMENT AND THE AIR HI0IEN5 CaagTTEE In sscord.hca vita Hanagement Comlttea Minute No. 16(d), edited versions of the First Annual Report were forwarded to the Factory Department and to the Air Hygiene Committee (U.S.A.). Okie of the member Companies of the latter committee has since shown interest in the Ottway Dust Sampler and details have been forwarded. 6. RESEARCH FROg.SSS The research work of the Council has continued under the direction of Dr. P. F. Holt at Readur.g and Dr. J. Beattie st Cambridge. Brief sunaarles of this work are given below. Full reports appear in Appendices 2 & 3* (a) Work at Reading During the year the work has been transferred to a new laboratory end animal house. This has inevitably resulted in acme dislocation, but the new facilities are far supericr old. The apparatus fer maintaining an asbestos dust cloud has been developed to the stage when it will maintain a dust cloud of a fairly steady concentration automatically. Conditions can be varied to produce a completely fibrous or completely non-fibrous dust cloud as required. The Ara ma - --xpenments have been delayed pending the development of the dust machine to a satisfactory stage. These experiments art now in progress. In order to.measure the total dust exposure during animal experiments, Continued C6r SOP 6XSQV*? S>jr -3- (b) Work at Cambridge Data on the mineral content and particle size distribution in lung Material from 50 cases of -exposure to asbestos dust at Rochdale has been col lected together in the form of a r-nort. Work is also proceeding to ascertain whether non-fibrous dust plays any part in the genesis of asbestosis. CbrnBrntograrMc examination of asbestosis body material has suggested strongly that the protein envelope consists of collagen. The pattern of laying down of the protein is now to be considered as this will give information of the mechanism of rupture of the envelope prior to the fracture of the fibre. Export. cn . -- -? a-'-^stosio bodlei into tie brains of animals have continued. It has been shown that sterile ehrysotile fibres can result in the formation of asbestcsis bodies within six bouuw und that mature but unsegmented bodies do not product any marked effects. The results on the injection of fragmented bodies are so far inconclusive. The work continues and has been extended to anosite ar.d crocicolite fibres. 7. DBST SAHFLrhG AND ANALGI3 Continued experience of the Otr-.:y instrument has shown that the dust count obtained in a steady concentration is dependsnt upon the sampling time. Evidence of this has been obtained oy ax' threo Mer.bcr Companies bat users of the instrument who are interested in non-flbrous dusts have not experienced this difficulty. No simple reason for tl*e phancms'ion hsj bean discovered and it is likely that the matter will not bo resolved until more is known on the physics of asbestos dust clouds. Work on mass sampling by membrane filters has eoonenced. J 8. RESEARCH COMITIES'S COW ENTS The Res-crch committee feels that good progress has been made during the year, but the rate of progress been hampered by limitations of manpower. Approval has already been given for the provision of extra assistance for Dr, Holt at Reading and the new arrangements will oome into force on 1st October, 1959. It is felt that in addition to expediting Dr. Holt's prograsne of work, this appointment will enable a start to be made on investigating the physics of asbestos dust clouds. Farther proposals for expansion of the Council's Research Programme -j xxler eonside' ation.