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Death of 2 Polyvinyl Chloride Workers From Rare Type of Cancer Is Verified
By Barry Kramer
,chlorite fabricating plata in the asms part
lie// Eoportwr of IKK WALL STMT JOUWUL
A second death from tn|iooKena at
the liver, a rare form of cancer previoutty
linked to vinyl chloride occupational expo-
sure, has been discovered in the polyvinyl
chloride plastic fabricating Industry, the
Connecticut Health Department
i
-to Hartford.
<at the state. A health department spokes ,man declined to Identify the factory In ,volved, and a Labor Department spokesman (lp Washington Identified It only as a Strat ,ford plant that makesJtayvlnyl-coatod fab ,rics. A further invest!ration is being under ,taken to learn if tbe accountant ever worked a, n the production line.
-_.;The two deaths Increase concern that the Although a definite relationship between
occupation danger of cancer, from vinyl <occupational exposure and angiosarcoma to
chloride, a gas used to mate polyvinyl the two polyvinyl chkride workers cannot
__ chloride plastic, may be more widespread 1be mode, toe Labor Department spokesman
^toan bed been thought Since January, U :said contact with *D other chemicals, drugs
' Oases at liver angloeareoma have been de- and dtoeaasa that can effect toe UVer hod
. totted among vinyl chloride workers from been ruled out to the two cases, leaving only
-agents that manufactured the gaa or that po polyvinyl chlorite as a known possibility. -
lymerised the gaa Into the plastic. Six other
Connecticut's esneer registry, which' tm*
. esses have been reported abroad. <
covered tbe two'cases and which is me of.
But the Connecticut cases are the first the oldest and most accurate to the nation,.-
toom in the polyvinyl chloride fabricating lists six confirmed cases of angiosarcoma of ;
todustry, which turns the plastic Into a myr- toe liver since the registry was begun in `
- lad of finished products ranging from, fund- 1935. The other four, eases didn't have
tare to coated fabric to electric cable cover known' exposure to either vinyl chloride or
ing. German scientists recently reported polyvinyl chlorite, according to Dr.uBar^
finding 1`precursors" of angiosarcoma to the bars Christine, chief of the health depart
livers of six workers to a plaid that turned ment's chronic
section. She said ton
polyvinyl chloride plastic into Coer tiles. > link between polyvinyl chloride and the two
But the Connecticut
confirmed as angiosarcoma deaths "might just be
angiosarcoma by the National Casmer Insti chance."!
y-: .
tute in Rethewda. Md., are the first actual
The Unk betweoi vinyl chloride gas and
cases. In the U.8. an estimated ,800 per-,. liver angiosarcoma la strong, and scientists
sons work to the vinyl, chlorite todustry, believe that U a link Is determined between
while the number working to the polyvinyl exposure, to polyvinyl chlorite plastic and.
chloride todustry numbers to the hundreds the rare cancer it will be because the plastic
of thousands.
contains pockets . ed unpolymerised vinyl
Tbe Connecticut Health Department an-.- chlorite monomer that are libersted to
nounced the first* case last week, and Gen hHng the plastic when tt is fabricated Into
eral Electric Co. disclosed that It was a flO- different products.....
year-old employe who fer 80 years had oper- ( Later Department bearings designed to
ated machines at a Bridgeport cable menu- * set permanent standards far .vinyl chloride
faeturing plant that processed various plas atmospheric concentrations in factories are
tics, including polyvinyl .chloride. Tbe man scheduled to begin June 35 to Washington. A
died last July, GE said. '
temporary ceding of 50 parts vinyl chloride
Tbe second ease fiOBtvwd a. man. who per. million parts of sir is currently to effect
worked as an aceoutaata' to' 'a polyvinyl ' Sod-Bte-Labor Department has proposed a
- * v - - . " hjerii at levels too small to be detected, a re-
qttrefnsat toe todustry has. said would be
Imijjedail^to'meet.
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RSV 0006827