Document gDNLdmnk3dVjVeL4m2LbQ1Kz9

FILE NAME: Talc (TALC) DATE: 1975 A p ri DOC#: TALC016 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NIOSH Memo RE Analysis of Talcs for Asbestos Fiber Content v> / ' M E M O R A N D U M DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH TO Howard J. Schulte Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor d a t e : April 1, 1975 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration FROM Deputy Associate Director for Cincinnati Operations, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health SUBJECT: Analysis of Talcs for Asbestos Fiber Content Your request dated March 5, 1975 to Mr. Edward J . Baier, Acting Director, NIOSH, for analysis of 19_talc products from the R.T. Vanderbilt Company is being handled by the Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio. In your memorandum, you requested that these products be analyzed for asbestos by the method proposed by the Food and Drug Administration in the Federal Register of September 28, 1973 (21 CFR Parts 121 and 133). At the time this method was proposed, NIOSH expressed its concern about the adequacy of this method to the FDA (see attached memorandum dated January 21, 1974). As you probably are aware, the promulgation of this methodJias^been^delayed by the FDA as stated in the Federal Register of March 14, 1975 (Pages 11855 - 11869). Therefore, the analysTs of the subject talc products for asbestos fibers will be completed utilizing the techniques we are presently using, which includes identification by electron microscopy with selected area diffraction and x-ray microprobe analysis. In addition, optical properties such as refractive index and angles of extinction will be determined. We do_anticipate difficulty in obtaining the subject talc products, especially considering the fact that we want to obtain representative, unbiased samples. Also, the analysis of these samples by the techniques mentioned above takes a good deal of time to assure accurate and repro ducible results. It is estimated that this project will take the Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations from three to five months to complete. For your information, we are attaching a NIOSH internal report from the Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations which was prepared at the request of the OSHA Toledo, Ohio Area Office for their enforcement action against the Borg-Warner Corporation. The talc sample 4711 which Page 2 - Deputy Asst. Sec. of Labor was identified as containing asbestos fibers by NIOSH is R.T. Vanderbilt s NYTAL 200. (It should be noted that P,.T. Vanderbilt had specified to the Borg-Warner Corporation that this talc was free of asbestos fibers.) Since we have already performed the necessary analysis on NVTAL 200, this will not be repeated in the future work. We hope the information gathered during this project will be useful to ^ both NIOSH and OSHA in our research efforts to evaluate the health effects associated with occupational exposures to talc. Any further communication you have on this matter should be directed to Mr. Ronald D. Dobbin, Chief, Environmental Investigations Branch, Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investinations, NIOSH, Post Office Building, 5th & Walnut Streets, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513/fifiA-37581. Attachments (2)