Document gEyxbVpoyzNG6kn1B9k1Grmq3

FILE NAME: Asbestos Textile Product Use (ATPU) DATE: 1964 Oct DOC#: ATPU045 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NY Academy of Sciences Press Releases [3] RE Asbestos Dangers with Cover Letter from Asbestos Textile Institute Founded 944 ASBESTOS TEXTILE INSTITUTE P. O. BOX 239 75 CENTER ST., POMPTON LAKES. N. J. 0 7 4 4 2 - U. S. A. Phan: 839-2214 Area cod 201 6 November 1964 EXHIBIT , S Mr. J. T. Griffis H. K. Porter Co., Thermoid Division P. 0. Sox 10516 Charlotte, N. C. Inc. Dear Mr. Griffis: PLAINTIFF'S I { EXHIBIT | A T J .S / I am attaching three copies of news releases A, B and C which were s u pposed to have been r e l e a s e d to the press during the con ference on the Biological Effects of Asbestos at the Waldorf Astoria several weeks ago. Fortunately, due to the alertness of Mr. Edward Schuman of J/M and Mr. Robert Cryor of North American Asbestos Company, these releases were discovered before their release, and the resultant objections that arose in tho meeting^ because of the sensationalism of the material held up their issuance* Tt As "y opinion that this w h o l e s i t u a t i o n s h o u l d be d i scussed at tne next B o a r d of G o v e r n o r {s m e e t i n g but for m y part I do not b e l i e v e t hat any furt h e r s teps s h o u l d be taker, at thi s time. I also feel that this subject should not be brought to the atten tion of other than management of our several companies, as any general discussion on this situation by sales personnel with users of our products, could possibly aggravate the situation and result in individual opinions which could be damaging. I feel that Mr. R e y c r a f t 's l e t t e r a c c o m p l i s h e d , for the time being, the fact that we, as an Industry, protest any irresponsible state ments being made to the press. I would welcome, and appreciate, an expression from the members of the Board of Governors regarding this very critical matter. truly J/HN A. ^ag att. BROWN, SIDENT i.".o .\>3v York Academy of Sciences A 2 Zest 63rd Street 't New York, New York TSmpleton 8-0230 ' Mr. Samuel Burger, Director of Public Relations FOR RELEASE: October 20, 1 $6 k HIGH INC IDENCI OF CANCER DEATHS FOUL'D IN ASBESTOS WORKERS; ASBESTOS IN ENVIRONMENT ALSO THREATENS CITY DWELLERS New York City, October 1 9 , I96L. A growing number of reports on the occurrence of asbestosis-- a serious disease of the lungs due to the inhalation 01 asbestos dust-- and asbestos cancer, reflect the harnful e*j.eCwj of exposure to asbestos dust, Dr. W. C. Hueper (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.) told a Conference on Biological Effects of Asbestos. The three-day Conference, sponsored by The New York Academy of Sciences, began today at The Waldorf Astoria. 'Tee enormous rise in production and industrial use of asbestos during the past 50 years has resulted in markedly widened exposure to asbestos dust for a greatly increased number and variety of workers," said Dr. Hueper. Dr. I. J. Selikoff and co-workers (The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City) told the Conference about a study of 1522 asbestos nsulatisr ,..'c'",'"'~s in the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan area. Of the 307 who had died during the past 20 years , 20 per cent had cancer of the lung, probably a complication of asbestosis. Another 20 per cent died of cancer elsewhere in the body which may have resulted from exposure to asbestos. About five to six per cent died of asbestosis. Only a little more than half-- 55. per cent-- died of all other causes. X-ray examination of the lungs of 1,117 of the surviving asbestos insulation workers revealed that many of them had asbestosis. Of those who first began to work with asbestos LO or core years ago, 9^ per cent gave X-ray evidence of asbestosis. Of those whose first exposure to asbestos  less than 10 years ago, 10 per cent gave definite X-ray evidence of asbestosis. Dr. Seiikoff concluded that the health and lives of asbestos insulation workers are greatly endangered by their occupation. ?rc= England cones a report by Dr. W. J. Smither (Asbestos Research Cca..c.l) aoouc 7x asbestos workers who have died since 1 9 5 7 . All were employed by a it.Cv.ory in Lor.aon which has been manufacturing asbestos products for 50 years. The mean age at death of these 71 workers was 57 years. Although tucercuiosis was present much less frequently than among those who died before 1957, there was a definite increase ir. the occurrence of lung cancer. And the relatively high number of cancers starting in the pleura and peritoneun-the memorar.es lining the chest and abdominal cavities and covering the organs ' within these cavioies -- surprised those engaged in the study. 2r. R. hiviiuoto (Tampere Central Hospital, Finland) told the Conference about calcified plaques found in the pleura of several hundred persons, living m the vicinity of two Finnish asbestos mines, but not employed in the mining industry. Other X-ray evidence of asbestosis was not found in most of them. * Th* Plaa-ues> once thought not to have serious clinical significance, are characteristic of early changes found in the pleura of asbestos workers. These people have whaf is now called endemic asbestosis, unrecognized before l$oO. Dr. Kiviluoto pointed out that, because asbestos dust is indestructible and _nsoluble, even a brief exposure may result in severe lung damage many years later. The urban dweller is now inhaling more asbestos dust, said Dr. J*. G. Thomson (Medical School, Cape Town, Africa). This is due to increasing consumption and diversity of uses of asbestos in cities and to its virtual ir.aestructibility, he said. Dr. Thomsen told about the search that was made for "'asbestos bodies" in the lungs of 5C0 deceased persons over 15 years of in <-ape Town, South Africa, and 5C0 in Miami, Florida. (Asbestos bodies . t e s t e s fib, coated t h an iron-containing substance.) The results r e similar in the t,,o Groups. Asbestos bodies ,,ere present in no less than 30 per cent of tie rales and 20 ter cent of the females, he said. In increase in the occurrence of cancer of the pleura and peritoneum, in - b a n duellers ,,as forecast * Dr. Thooson as a result of this r.e,, font of air pollution. Such cancers can occur vhen there is only a stall con.-.- -->.-01. c- asoestos libers in the lower part of the lung, he said. Investigators engaged in experimental asbestosis research told the Conferee f their findings. l'e,, ,,ays to detect the "invisible'' asbestos fibers in tissues vere described by Dr. C. Berkley and co-vorlters (Mount Sinai Hospital, fork City). Localisation of the fibers by electronic ashing has proven ' hignly satisfactory, they said. Dr. J. Kills (Heading University, England) said that in guinea pigs, finely divided particle, of asbestos seen to be more active in the production of lu.-.g fibrosis than the larger particles ,,hich produce asbestos bodies. In spite el ite fact that the experimental animals vere exposed to asbestos dust in sealed chambers, small amounts of dust gained access to the animal room and many untreated guinea pigs developed interstitual pneuaonia, he said. ..... -- dfvhht commercial varieties of asbestos are chrysotile, crocido- l l t e and amosita. Chrysotile, or ,,hite asbestos-a silicate containing magnesium-come, from serpentine rock and occurs as tubular fibers and sheets. Crocidolite, or blue asbestos-a silicate of sodium and iron-cones from banded ironstone rock and occurs as solid fibers. Anosite, favn-colo'red-a silicate of magnesium and iron-also occurs in banded ironstone as solid fibers. The greatest use of asbestos, both chrysotile and crocidolite, is in the manu facture of asbestos cement products. These products, manufactured in most countries of the world, consist of pipes, flat and corrugated sheets, shingles, ar.a others. The second largest use of asbestos is in the manufacture of asphalt ar.d vir.yl asbestos floor tile'. ifihr -;:o ..v Yor:-c .-.ccdcr.y of Sciences 3 ~ ~-~z z Street ' Yew York, Lev York TZ.zpieton S-C230 Kr. Samuel 3urger, Director of Public Relations FOR RELEASE : October 21, 156L -SRISDOS LINKED TO SEVERAL MALIGNANCIES; i-^Y PAVE NAY FOR CIGARETTE-INDUCED CANCER LevYork City, October 2 0 , 156U. m England, Wales and Scotland over 50 per cent of zales recently deceased and known to have had asbestosis also had cancer within the chest cavity, Dr. W. 3 . 3uchanan told the Conference or. biological Effects of Asbestos, sponsored by The New York Academy of Sciences. Today's meeting, the second of the three-day Conference was held at The 'Waldorf-Astoria. Dr. 3ucr.anan (Ministry of Labor, London, England) based his statement on an analysis of all the death certificates on which the presence of asbestosis is recorded iron the three countries. Up to the end of l$c3, 56U such death certificates have been received, he said, and the annual number of then is increasing. A relationship between asbestosis and cancer within the chest was suspected as long ago as 191*7 , and there now seems to be little doubt that such a connection is real and meaningful, he said. Two German physicians, Drs. G. Jacob and M. Amspach, who studied such . cases, noted that there were two kinds of cancers. Some of the cancers were oror.chcgenic-- that is, they began in the lining of the branches of the wind pipe which carry air into the lung. Other cancers were mesotheliomas, which start in the pleura-the membrane which lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs. They also found some mesotheliomas which began in the peritoneum-- tr.e membrane which lines the abdominal cavity and covers the organs within. Drs. Jacob and Amspach said that there was a relatively high incidence of pleural nesotneliomas among people who live in the vicinity of the Dresden asbestos works. < 3r< T c _ . *-w*---3..1 --nci cowoi'lcs**s f \'t ... -S (^t. ,, Hospital, Key York City) "Sv'2, '* :i"d 2 `*-1 incidence (''i-qu -e>- CPrr] -~e- cent) . oi cancer of the * * . , * , . in-o sti^3,^ t'*-np- ,_ t/-,7 , - ^ 7 deceased insulation workers in -he Yor-:'::c"--' J e r s e y Metropolitan are* _ ' ha, . u y bel^eve that in many of these CwS(_J; u..e car.cer did not 'ica *',, not a-..e ,r a tne cells that line the inside of t - d^.-ointesti.-.ai t.-act, but frcn the cells of the peritoreun. Such cancers 'o.e , n . i p.-ooacly, therefore, cesot.helior.as connected in sore uay n t h exposure to asbestos. In Ireland, Drs. P. C. Sices and 0 . L. Wade (Queen's University, 2elfas- * a '"li.eu prov^ r*ccae _h , ses o. ^ e u r a x mesothelioma, and found that 3` * * * " th6re " * * i 0 M TM exposure to asbestos. `. rt8W"SM,CS occies- as^tos fibers surrounded by an iron-containing substance- -ere found in the lungs of 68 per ce-* of *-,aea * . * ue*-" 01 '-.ese patients. These fird-__ are xurther evidence that asbestos piavs a m u i , , p_ays a role m pleural mesotheliomas. In the laboratory, Drs. VI. E. Scith and L. Miller (Fairleigh Dicki.-.so- University, Madison, fouid U r g e t ^ o r s in the chest cavities of nansters-- possibly mesotheliomas-- after a > er a single injection of asbestos into ...ua. .nev reported t"at *u- i.,- . , . ""e n>lnda oi asoestos which stimulated tumor production were harsh " W s-- 'la ..u.-* .... 7 colored asbestos. Both a-e , ** t Silicates of iron. . asbestos-and amosite-fawn- . Aa^siwe also contains - they nad been unable to produce b r o n c h o g e - car.cer in hansters by introducing the sane two hinds of asbestos into ~ lungs vie the air passages. But, ,,hen either chrysetile or anosite ir,trCdU:ed `"-o the air ** with a cancer-producing substance ~ -- .wsCw, c&r.oe.s occurred in twice as cany animals as -T.e.-. the eance.-prcduclng agent ,,as introduced alone. Therefore, the oratory tests confirm the epidemiological evidence that asbestos car. cause ^ n a n t mesotheliomas and may enhance the cancer-prcducir.S -ctivi.y or cnemicals kr.ovr. to produce bronchogenic cancer, other laboratory researchers reported that they are now trying to find out i- it is the asbestos itself or sonething associated with it which ' stimulates cancer formation. *" 'JS* th0Se TOr:'-M vh w TM asbestos is are entitled to oeater.sation, definite standards already exist which neasure the severity of incapacitation. Such standards are based on inforaatica Stained froa chest X-rays, physical exaaination, and tests of lung iur.rsicn. Ji*UItisnsislisils 2 * Sciences c d -- -t o3ra Street .'-M/,Xork, I'qu York --.pieton 8-C23C l`i,` SC:ZUal 3urDer' Director or' Public Relations rOR RELEASE: October 22, 1J6U SCIr ^ I^ f CIT- dscv/lyc asbestos hazardsAb`c *'R SAF^ I-ASURES AMD FURTHER MUDY I.ev York City, October 21 lbab , . ' 5 ' Th increasing occurrence of cancer acong ^s'CwSXcs workers is * i *- y> a reilection of their improved 'tori'.ir.- cchditiOds and longer u r e span_ scienttsts vere told tcday K M intJ _ r.otlo.-.dl Conference on Biological Effect* of Asbestos. The Conference is sponsored by The new York Academy of Science*. Today* meeting at The Waldorf-Astoria brings the three-day meeting to a close. the early days of the industry, said Dr. J. c. Gilson (M.H.C. Keur.ocer.iosi* Research Unit, Glamorgan, Wales), men working for only a iov years in an asbestos-laden atmosphere developed asfcestosis-excessive scarring of the lungs due to inhalation of the asbestos particles. Often ' "er" died Preca-Ufely because of the complications cf asbestosis -- pneumonia or tuberculosis, he said. hen -outcry conditions vere altered so that pneumonia and tuberculosis re no longer such a problem, Dr. Gilson continued, the late effects of asbestosis vere commonly encountered, including sever, bronchial conditions and enlargement of the heart. Mere recently, said Dr. Gilson, these worker* with only moderate degrees of asbestosis have survived long enough to develop cancers originating in the orcnchial passages. Rev, quite unexpectedly, malignant tumors arising from the linings of the these and abdominal cavities-mesotheliomas-are occurring in workers who have had only slight exposure to asbestos ho or more years previously. Kesctheiicmas cue to asbestos are also being found emong people who live near --co-zos cines and fictQries > r.d --.ong city eve Her; cor.ta=iaated by , S'.estn5 , . . ho se ^ i r o n n e n t is * used ip inni <s* * lnsulatioa and elsewhere. * ^ o n pointed out that it is 1OB0r-a.t asbestos -faibuec-.ss edoo *^rh.*e lieast har-i varieties of fibers cav he 1 Ut Whlch kinds of i t n m the body, so that the e safe* Cre COC=or::Ly usad in the future. " Se0Gr?hiCai ^ i o n of the asbestos deoosit is an i ' contributing to its c a n a r y to ` 12POrtant fact^ * Clwy t0 cause disease, Dr it w s .+w , Corporation, .Yanville lV , , ' .vine, f . J . ) asserted. Chro-e ' Slth (Johna-Kanvu ,, > associated with sore deoosi`s h ' ' radica=tivity are - cancer-trcduci_i - T l -- la* '`ataa CVn Tight. * " -own to C. Wagner (Pneuaoconiosis Research Ur" 0 l2 . Conference .a.. ... . , ' 01*=>-S, Wales) told the " " kn6wn ex t l y sow asbestos c a u s e s dis. a-- Known how the asbestos fibers m g r a t , In the body He s id ^ " cesothelicaas-- calignant f o r s arising fro. the i i n i , of he have occu-- ed , ccu^ed m animals following +v,e -8 of the and amosite_+>,, . ^ o s x t e -- the major - --- ^ quar+.t. Ash-+ Ing tiie injection of chrvsot-n ' enrysotile, varieties n r ,, u of * a; which occurs naturally Aiy ..... ... con,,mins silica. ^ ^ chest cavity-- y crccidolite, - in sand a in sand ar.a Othe~ < ___ . natur V ..... " fr nature of the mesothelioma in detail. south Africa d e s o r b They planted , ...... prove that aebesto, or somethin ' r'Ut t0 , or sonething associated with it, dees indeed cause the- malignant tutors m nan and aninal. I- ,, then ' ' - " known exposure to asbestos and the presence of aebestos fibers in tumo-s ard t ........... ' Tfc. "* hew York Academy of ^ 3ni lu,,ae are significant. . * ls nost to " ny thousands scientists at the more than 20 major i n t e - a , J international scientific coherences it sponsors annual!" r''-- -<,__ ST,,, . J/ .... -/ `.nr.simced plans to con- -rot a 525 million World Scieaca r in tae heart of Kew York City. 3-c T:k> "deny, vhose te .tber-scienti-ts a .'.li ecu-t-.. no- t ali 50 atetes ani -M ' h0-:es to tolete the w0n c e - lB = * -ieb'ate 15J0 yyeeaa.-ss ooif servire tn -u "C," B" C*t t w ^ 6 7 , Support tor the project is Ce i'ouncatior.s &r gove^ e,,t ^ ^ ^ ent agencis here and abroad. ir-iividuals , .