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Inhaled into the human lung, may b*come coated with an iron-rich characteristic golden brown ma terial, forming an ".nsbestoa body." These are found,
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^ TAILPS 4'l
Asbestos Bodies in Shipyard
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for example, in very large numbers in the lungs of
and Construction Workors: Quantitative Results
asbestos workers. In 1963, Thomson reported that he found bodies with the same appearance in the
Blue Collar (no Shipyard '
<j
Sh)pyd
Wblto
lungs of people who were not asbestos workers.
Smears of the lung bases allowed him to demon
or
` and
Collar
Cor.iuueilon)1 Cor.itrueilon Mala*
strate these bodies in 26 percent of 500 consecutive autopsies in Capetown. His conclusion was'that asbestos had indeed become a modem urban hazard, and'he (predicted that,, asbestos-induced mesotheli oma might become as frequent S3 cigaretto-ssso- , elated lung cancer Li^at the present1 time. ,
Thomson's observations have been widely con firmed," and particles having the appearance of
Total Number ol Worker*
1 245 > i, `
129 ^
Worker* Having
i
Atbedet Bodies
121 (49%) i ->
Worker* Having
f
NoAibeitosBodie* 12S
Work*.-* Having Ftv* or Mart
s*
- > ,
' x{ ;1J;
Asbftlo* Bo&tt
20 (8%)
`
90 (70%) o*
39 >
29 (23%)
204
57 (42%)
. lit
i\ ,
, 10(5%)
asbestos bodies have been reported in similar^ per-'
cenlages in Montreal, Milan, London, .Newcastle, recommendation and use as playroom material in
Glasgow, Belfast, Dresden, Pittsburgh and Miami. kindergartens or in toy cosmetics.
"
In* New York City. using a somewhat more sensi
Indirect occupational exposure is< suggested by
tive technique^we find that approximately half of! recent observations in ^our laboratory. We find/for
the lungs in 1,975 consecutive autopsies examined example,4that while approximately 30.percent of
by us show these particles. When one considers that housewives examined at post mortem had asbestos
we examine only, on s square centimeter of lung tis-1 bodies demonstrated, comparable figures" are 40
sue 0.0176 centimeter in thickness, St is obvious , percent for White collar males ,and 50 percent for
-that" these particles are now very common among "blue collar males. This rises to over. 70 percent for
city dwellers at this, time/ . ^ " * ` ,s s / , men with any history whatsoever of having worked
Opportunity for non-occupational contact with either in the construction industry or in shipyards.
asbestos at the present time can easily be discov- .The latter, moreover,; are much more likely to have
, ered.-There are, for example, some three ''thousand
numerous asbestos bodies than any of the other
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f., , > !
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products which currently.utilize this valuable mate groups.
,
rial. To the present, lack of recognition of the
A .special hazard may be present as the result of -
potential of non-occ upational exposure has led to an interaction' recently described. We have found
i tho absencei of appropriate safeguards duringindus- that there is a special frisk of, cigarette smoking
triftl use. Demoliticn of ` buildings, often rich in among asbestos workers. Since January 1, 1963 we
asbestos-containing materials, is suspect, while have observed 87 experienced, insulation workers
sheer carelessness and ignorance may explain its who were hot regular smokers or who were pipe or
i`
______________________________ cigar smokers; we have yet to see a death from
bronchogenic carcinoma''among these men. On the
f /-C 4
v TAKES1 i "
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n
i ,! Asbestos Bodiss in New York City > '
i
other hand, of 283 equally experienced workmen ` who smoked cigarettes and who were watched for
;Dwellers Without: Occupational Exposure--1,975, Coees ai the>same period of time, we'have seen 24 such
cancers, although only three were expected. Wc
Male Age
iC Total
5 ^*
Total * .Percent;
with
-eltb
o*bo*- ebe*-<
to* to*
bodies bodies
P*mal*
Tolal ! Age*1 cat*
Total; Percent with . with asbis*, asbtito* to* bodice. bodie*
. : have: calculated that.the< risk of dying of lung cancer: ;
, is approximately 92 times greater for an asbestos
worker who smokes cigarettes than a man of the
same age who neither works with asbestos nor
smokes cigarettes.
<
0-4 2-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 S0-39 60-59 70-79 80-89 93+, Total
40 2 4
22 SO 17B 290 3S0 321 10S
7
1351
0 I 0 4 14 83 f' < 149 ! 20S ISO 62
4 702
...
18% 28% 47% S3*. >57% S6% S9% 17%
1%
0-1 3-9 10-19 20-23!
33-32 43-49 * 50-59 60-49
70-79 80-89 90+ <;Tota4
31 2 8
19 58 85 14* 151 601 12 607
0 0 3 4 7
8
38 S7 43 40
8
240
*MO These observations naturally raise the question
w whether the inhalation of asbestos fibers among
38% individuals 4in ;the; general - population might carry
33% 39%
a special risk among the cigarette.smokers in that
31% population.
45% , Wagner's observations have been extended by
39%
43% Mwo recent studies.fMuriel Li Newhouse Investigated
so% 76consecutivecasesofir.esotheliomaexaminedat
66%
39%
the London Hospital, the majority within the last
several years. She found, to'no one's surprise, that
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