Document n9pXzZxroqgRZGdBpO0B3d2L2

ASBESTOS IN WATER IN THE Cl(LOR*ALKALI INDUSTRY R. J. Moolcnaar, Dow Chemical U.S. Midland, Michigan (Presented at The Chlorine istitutc, Inc. Seventeenth Chlorine Plant Managers' Seminar New Orleans, Louisiana, February 5, 1975) PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT ST0006547 Introduction Dr. Charles Kramer, a physician in Dow's Medical Department, addressed the Fourteenth Plant Managers' Seminar at the 1971 Chlorine Institute meeting on the topic "Asbestos and Health"(1). He clearly pointed out that exposure to air-borne asbestos, was of serious concern, and that control of industrial exposure to `air-borne asbestos was essential. Good engineering procedures, good housekeeping, and careful monitoring of the workroom air were recommended as aids in the control. Since then, air-borne asbestos hazard control has been the topic of a NIOSH criteria document (2), an OSHA standard (3,4), and an EPA national emission standard (5). . .. ............................... . .11 ..s t . I * Today I wish to focus, attention op asbestos in watocf.i to summarize * briefly and comment on health effects of'exposure to water-borne .... asbestos,. to discuss the analysis.'of. asbestos .in.water,.:and<to ..-. review results obtained inthe detcrmipation-of asbestos-levels in diaphragm cell chlor-alkali process streams. ..For those not acquainted with the use of asbestos in the gplor-ralkali industry, a brief description is supplied, in Appendix A..-- The chemical and physical properties of asbestos.are summarized in Appendix.B. 'V! ' 'Health'Effects'of Asbestos.^.. ," ... -.......-- . * . '< 'r Tho health hazards associated with prolonged inhalation of asbestos have been established beyond reasonable.*doubt;.'*'ChrbWic effects have been found in workers...involvel in* asbestos"minlngf milling, textile manufac^re, and .in the-insulation) Industry. ' The most obvious is asbestbsis, a condition not seen in the general population, characterized by breathing difficulties, wheezing,, clubbed fingers, (caused; by. oxygen, deficiencyPand 'n- cyanosis (blueness &. the skin). ;..c:ac .. ...____ _ i.'., -.* ->i~}r?CT'On in <: 'OOCS. ..JiiT.c AwCr.d>> Cancer of the respiratory*, trace-ham'alsnfsbeen'attributed 'ttf0 prolonged asbestos inhalation.,. :,T<tia> has been discussed'In- * *;2fl several publications, niost recently by Selikoff and co-workers (6) who studied cancer risk of insulation workers in the United States. They found an incidence of lung cancer about six-times that expected in the general population.:. Selikoff et al. (7)' concluded that if asocstos workers smoke cigarettes,"the riik :; is greatly incroascd. Another form of cancer associated with. i