Document p6D7pm5dkd91mmx6kzo7V8D6
PLAINTIFFS
exhibit
DUP-2295
news
VO. 4/NO > INOVEMBER 197S
Company enters
joint ventures to ensure raw material supplies
Two nun* (oi( ventures aimed at ensuring future supply of important petrochemical raw materials were announced by the company last month.
Du Pont and the Atlantic Richfield Com pany agreed to enter into negotiation* (o design, constructend operate a petrochem ical facility on the Texas Gulf Coast with a capacity of approximately 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
While final negotiations for formation of this kmrtf venture remain to be completed, current estimates call for the installation to include a large (more than one-billionpooods per yean ethylene plant. This plant will also produce other olefins and aroma tics. raw materials used in the production of man-made fibers, plastics and elastom ers.
earnings show upturn
Third quarter earnings for the company were St .72 per share of common stock, compared with 45 cents m the previous quarter and 52,43 in thethird quartera yea/ earlier.
Net income for the quarter was J86 million on saies totalling SI.9 billion.
Earnings for the first mne months this year were 52.S6 percommon share. 66 per cent below the 57.53 reported for the sam: period in 1024. Sales during the runemonth period were 55.3 billion, essentially the same as last year's nine-month totals.
Chairman Irving S- Shapiro said recovery from the low point of the U. S- business recession is proceeding generally as an ticipated.
He said improvement thus far has been centered in the company's domestic busi ness. led primarily by fibers, pigments and plastics.
To be owned 50*50 by Ou Pont and Atlantic Richfield, the facility is expected lo begin operation early m 198 f.
David K. Bames, vice president and gen eral manager of die Energy and Materials Department, explained that the proposed venture would "satisfy only a part of Ou Font's requirements for hydrocarbons, since more than 20 per cent of the company's production is based on raw materials derived from crude erf and natural gas. Historically, (he company has
been a substantial purchaser of these raw materials and will remain so.
"But, we re facing (he realities of me
times/' he added, "foim ownership of pet
rochemical manufacturing facilities with
partner who can supply crude oil should
provide me seetwry of supply and im
prove oor u mav tia cost position. It is
/ r*. i:-,r ; .
is. ..,** ..-A, S-
share ofthe pcoducts bo: rather to con*u:ne
them internally."
(n incthc* development, Du Pont has
agreed to truer mto a form venture with
National Distillers 4 Chemical Corp of
New York to produce and sell synthesis gas and carbon monoxide, important feed stocks used in the manufacture of other chemicals.
The companies authorised engineering design and development of a construction
estimate for building the synthesis gas facil ity Synthesis gas <s a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
Ou Pont also disclosed it had authorized engineenng design and development of a construction estimate for a methanol plant, using the synthesis gas as a feedstock. This plant will increase (he company's
methanol capacity by nejrly 60 per cent.
The new plants are expected to be near one another m (he Hous'on. Tex., area and (o be completed by early 1979.
"There s a need for new methanol capaory an essential intermediate m (he
chemical industry/' Harold H. Snyder, vice president and general manager of the fnouiina' Chemicals Department, said. "The protected market growth for methanot indicates there will be shortages
by 1976'
Methanol >t currently produced at Beaumont Tex . and the Sabine River Worxs. Orange. Tex
* <4ini (oUfitiun ul (owojn**w and iWvpwMi laaiunni fabnci of Ou font libers now
itJOe-uoepmg threwfh the fort. Mtdwert tni South. On dwpur from kadmf designers v*d
xvjungrm */t (Mtm (tiNere
of "Qiana" ntk>n. and-cting "Ammt" (II niton, "C '
' < to* 'Dwren poiv+<r. TVm rtbm *r* irwct* i Cwnden. S.C., OufUnoof* an
> * Iron Rinxon ind Cjpr few, N.C., 4d
jnO WivnctDoro, V*, Meet
nrem 1 ml frtorro SIS *n<* SSO
t 1 Du >ONT Oi NiMOUlU a COM#ANY K > WHMINCTON. OUAWAXf 'WS
J
JOHN G HAVESTY 304 LINOEM *VE WOODBURY HEIGHTS N J
0809?
fz.
n
DUP 1005001
DU 050788
Medical's 60 th Anniversaryally initiated well m advance of similar programs throughout industry
Blood analysis has been expanded in
Du Poof* medical program is 60 years old this month. U began as one of the first and most complete employee health care pro grams in industry Since Ihen. it has been a
pacesetter and a pioneer in industrial pre
include chemical and hematology tests, which help company physic<am m early disease detection.
Special, un-gumg medical cumrul programs -- some of which have bcvn re
ventive medicine On these pages DU PONT NEWS shows
quired by Du Pom since the 1920s -- are conducted at sues tor all employees ex
a sampling o! services performed by Du Punt medical personnel.
Some other highlights from Oo Pool's
posed to certain toxic substaru.es An altulioiit rehabilitation program,
foe first in industry, has helped more Hun
medical story include Approximately 7.5 million physical
3,000 employees who might otherwise have lost their fobs nr {lowihly t*vt`n th.->r
examinations have been given over rise program s 60-year history, with the em phasis on early detection to enable early
lives, The company hired the first psych.-
atnst m industry and has made mental
treatment,
health an integral part ot its total medical
Chest X-rays, electrocardiograms, cancer detection tests, (iu vaccinations and
audiograms have all been vital pans of company medical testing for years -- usu
program. Thetompanyemplovsmoretrun jcx)
full* and pan-time doctors and ibS nurses, enough to staff a large hospital
A cardiopulmonary reswcilattoe udMigue. uOuch cm save heart attach and tocuicih*div*ciMv. practiced
at a Brevard, N, C. first M traWng muon. Ptant physician Leonard litter (cowar) guides fint aid team mwwtocn Cad Walden (Mu an4 \mm Sodw,
Nurse Motty Once at foe Florence. S.
C* ('** i oiauwiMn corvtcaf mnux dsorapy to secretary fameit ftnfnun
to cefcovt nerve prosmrt riusod by a
spur on her vertebrae. Physical foerapy a*Ot *mpto>e*i in recovery after an operahaQ or Oiuhhng ithiw*
fc -rj OoctorawgrmpioiM center at Cham- 4
^J tjj BS VS fl
hers Works, Deepwater, N. |. At Du PenCi larpnt manutacturing facility. fow pUM hm a mofocaf Oaff of 31 and two laboratories tar tang both special and tegular medical teeta.
Soalord nurse Thelma tuwNcv tOwuutn a pulmonary lw to yam tmpocior Jerry Tewerv The study cherts foe condt lung* and retpsraUxv tyocm.
ODOR VAN... being'nosey'can pay off
Some people collect the strangest ihmgs for instance there art engineers who walk around Ou Pont plants collecting nothing bur air m plastic bags.
it ptooably will never caich on. like amassing stamps or pewter, but ihis "Cot-
Tcrtmcian Irff iaaicr Ormp odor sample m plaitK bag lu mobile lest laboratory lor analysts
Itctmg" is useiul lor plants faced with a problem
The collectors, led bv lames I franz. an Engineering Department technical service engineer, have been smtimg around com pany facilities with a mobile test laboratory called the Engineering Servu e Oivision "Odor Van." for almost two vears now, the van has helped deret r bad odors and track down thetr sources
Usually, otanis call m the Odor Van" after complaints by nearbv residents about
unsavory odors suspected to be caused bv industrial operations Franz savs J dozen
plants have used hi services $o Jar first mission at a site is to identity all
oossibie odor sources--no small task since Odors Can come from stack* OuiiO.ngs waste treatment ponds or process leans
A.r samples are collected at i.xety oooi source points m a bag made ot vtvur polyester tilm
A three-person udOr ,Jane> >> assembled plant empiovees or iocjf communirv
residents! ano presented w.m ununons o'
Hie UagsaiMyn? through smiling mats mstuv ihe *ar> They m asxed to .noependentiy
rate the intensity ot each dilution on a prearranged intensity scale and describe the odor
"Wt ve had people say they smelled ev erything trom dirty sweat socks to perlume ` franz says
Test results are then analyzed and led into a computer to determine how much fresh air must be mixed {known as a dilu tion! with the bad odors to neutralize them
"U might take only ten dilutions." savs Franz, ' or the odor might have to be di luted 100.000 times io be non-detectabie it all depends on odor strength "
VViih all the data compiled, he can then recommend control strategies to reduce the significant odor sources inmost cases
held renting is required io select an effective
odor control device tor each source Getting nd or an odor problem can be
cotnp/i<.Jted andeosUv, particularly if the solution calls ior stack scrubbing, direct flame combusiion or carbon treatment
But Franz savs planis itiif have been auie
tn put sonic or his dtlor abatement
recomnwndatiuns into etteci have been pieaseu with (he results And. he says me company >s committed locomrolling odors
to meet iix ji laws and Io continue IO be a good neighoor .n plant communities
Inside "Odor Van," La hone. Te\,, em Aiinr<t< Heekrr tparllr hidden -n bars and lack Hannan irighl' imt! 4 umo provided by lamei iranz Ihe enj charge of the rrsotalr lab
DUP 1005002
DU 050789
'Watchdog' surveys check on possible employee health problems
For 19 ycao, the Medical Division's biostatistics section has been closely studying the health of Du Pont employees.
Company.w/d* and individual sue epidemiological studies have been on* going to uncover potential health prob lems, and to /umtsh "data bank" for spe cial surveys of employees exposed to toxic substances.
Epidemiological studies compare the incidonce of disease among various groups
to identify factors that are related to the
disease. "We try to determine whether employee
disease incidence rates at any site are sig nificantly greater than tn the company as a whole or than in the general population." says Dr. Sidney Pell, a biotUtisttoan who has headed the survey program since its start m 1956.
"If a problem develops, we want to de lect it as early as possible." he adds, "be cause then prompt remedial action can be taken."
According to Pell, Du Pont has been doing this employee health monitoring longer than ar - other industrial company m die U.S.
Four mam urveys form the backbone of the company s epidemiological studies -- sickness absenteeism, mortality (deaths), cancer and coronary heart disease.
From the data provided by these broadgauged, computerized surveys, special studies are run. For instance, recent studies of importance to the company have centered on noise, carcinogens (sub stances which cause cancer) and heart 'disease-- ------------------------------------
In iheca*e<- caic<r,iv*'i, ic;>J:r.g tc Pell, when such a special survey is required he asks a site to identify ill workers, both past and present exposed to die suspect chemical.
Tracking down all exposed employees is crucial to ensure thatsurvey data arc totally unbased. Oeivmgas far back as possible m plant records is essential, too, since the latent period for a carcinogenic compound
can be as long as 20-25 years after first exposure.
A search it made of the company's cancer registry and the computerized file of deaths of employees and retirees to identify cancer cases among the exposed workers.
Then, the oncer incidence rate among the exposed workers * compared to rates in the total company population and in the general population to determine whether
the rate in the exposed group tsabnormally
high. "Extensive data have been accumulated
on heart disease, cancer and mortality for the entire company population," says Pell.
"This work, for example, has shown that the incidence of cancer in the company as a whole is no greater than fiat of other surveyed populations In the U.S."
Not only do these studies ferret ou* pos sible health complications, but ftey are a way of determining whether existing safeguards for employees exposed to cer tain hazards are working.
"We recently finished a five-year study to check the effectiveness of our heanng conservation program among employees
exposed to high noise levels," notes Pell. "The study indicated that our protective
measures have been successful in prevent ing noise-induced hearing loss."
With stepped-up Federal pressure for more and beaeremploye* health data. Pell says 00 Poofs epidemiological studios have paid off.
'We've got a 20-year store of: ifonnu-
lion readily available with whicl. we on do many kinds of studies refuting lu f health of company employees. h*"w plain.
"Usually when emp>cyess i'.J xm< . potential health problem or concern with a material with which we work," ftell adds, "they can be assured that we know about it and have already responded to the infor mation by using many valuable research tools, such as epidemiology, so investiga;? the problem."
Ruppe succeeds
Campbell as director of DISA
Ernest F Ruppe director of the polyolefins Otvi>.on ot the Plastics Department.
Been named cnairman-designate oi Ou Pont ime'naiionai S A., the company > wholly-owned subsidiary m Geneva Switzerland The appointment is eitecnve Nov i He succeeds Mihon H. ompoell.wno retires next April itm 28 rea's with the company
Edwin 0 Soeiter |r . will succeed Ruppe as director of (he polyolefins drviuur Been*'vas'ormertv aswsunt direc tor of the company $ Central Research and
Development Department
Ruppe a native of New York, joined Du Pom >n t95C with the Engineering De* uu'imenf at me lOunvilie Kv plant
v >c'wd "< vjnuui engineering vjpa< lies unn. "ibo when he moved re hv |J uvl>C> Department j Uiviyior teo-
i >.iix-'inie'*ii'Mi4Uhohjrkc'sOurg V*.
twPpr way aot>oinie<J director o* t"
New department to manage pension fund
vironmental affairs and vice chairman of the Environmental Quality Committee m 1971. He was appointed director of the polyolefins division a year later
Campbell came to Du Pont n 1947 as a chemical engineer at the petroleum laboratory of the Chambers Works. Oeepwater. n /,
After serving m several managerial posi tions m petroleum chemicals and elas tomer chemicals, he was appointed assis tant director of sales tor the Elastomer Chemicals Department when it was formed in 1957
in '958. he was named manager of the
marketing services division .n the Interna
tiona Department He became director of ihe European Uiviyion ,n '9b0 and as>umec his present position m February '9tob
Twenty years ago Du Font's pension fund was valued at about 5250 mifbon. Today that figure has grown to 52 billion, and the total could reach 55 billion bv 1985
Because of this tremendous growth rate, the company has established a new Pen sion Fund Investment Department, effec tive Nov 1 to manage the pension fund portfolio. For many years, the investments m the fund have been managed by the Treasurer's Department.
OavidF Marvm, 35, formerly a portfolio manager with Investors Diversified Ser vices, Inc.. (lOS) of Minneapolis, Mmn., has been named director of the new de partment. Prior to joining IDS he was a security analyst with the Chicago Title and Trust Company
"I do not see any maior changes m the investments of the fund," says Ralph B CoieT^vice president and treasurer "The decision is primarily based on the fact that with the growth of the fund its manage ment requires the lull-time attention of a setwat* department"
Du Pont's penyion fund i> known as a directed trust its investment* jru control
led by the company, with Wilmington Trust Company, the sole trustee continuing to serve in an advisory capacity and main taining custody of securities
couicnoN...
In a photograph in lhe October wut. NEWS iMorrecdy idamlflarf Harvey Henry, toraman ef fee tank car repair thnp at the Chamber* Wert*, as Dave PeUack. We regret the error.
I newsI BfealFtexRa
I Du Pont's employee publication
; EDITOR Craig C Cam* j ASSISTANT EDITOR Barbara A Wolf
j Addnrw coriewondynce lo Editor OU PONT NEWS
[ Rm 8061. Du Pont Bldg | Pubuc Attain Oep [ Wilmington Or 19898 ! Copyright $ *975 i . I du Pom or Nemour* a Co
DUP 1005003
SITELINES
NEWAKK.OEL .. leaving u we*-equipped
Ralph VV Beach placed hi* first million-dollar order lor
the company m 1952 Me wj* a pufclusmgagent then Today Beach is getting ready to retire. but he hat teen
tlotol million-dollar purchase orders come across his desk since that time
Last year, at manager of (he Energy and Materials Department's equipment division, he oversaw S550 million in capital equipment purchases lor new Du Pont construction protects m the U $ and abroad and (or all maior maintenance and repair work done at plants
"In the past year and a hall." Beach explains, "our equipment division has negotiated 04 separate orders or contracts worth over (I million apiece "
Beach, who retires at the end ut November, has been m purchasing for 'most of his near 40 years with the company He has headed the equipment division, which is headquartered at the Engineering Department's louviers Building near Newark. Oel, since (967
The biggest change made in company buying policy over the last few yejrs. according to Beach, is that
lnl "we're negotiating with sup pliers based on equipment charactenspcsand theirabil ity to provide the specified goods, rather than on com* petdive prices m every case "With our negotiated method of buying. 1 think we're better able to control our cows." As he looks back on his career, what does he view as his top accomplishment?
Ralph W. tuck
"firjt. the training and development of purchasing
personnel beginning m 1940. and second, the fact that we were able to get equipment delivered to meet the .onvtruciicn -ctv*luleA r* '( *h' huw iainwi\ " b**
says No mean teat, since Du 1`ont deals with over 7.000
equipment suppliers and plates orders for some of the most complex chemical equipment in the world
CARNEY'S POINT, N.)... a furry Utc
While the nation gets set to celebrate its bicentennial, f
Donald Had. a carpenter at (he Plastics Department's
Carney's Point Works, donned Colonial garb for the
tercentennial 1300th year anniversary/ of nearby Salem,
one of New Jersey's oldest towns, for the occasion,
which culminated in a big isarade and celebration m
September. Hart spent nine months growing hts care
fully manicured beard. His colleagues at Carney s Point
got almost as much enjoyment out of watching the
Nf it4'*
> Ha."d%*. Bjj.a?as. Han
paid a call to (he barber last mcmtfv first. the beam
went, then the mustache twimli measured 12 inches
trom up to up at full flower/ So >nuch for beards an</
tercentennial!
ORCIEVILIE, O... ode to a pumpkin
Yes. Charlie Brown, there is a Great Pumpkin!
It is alive and well and resides in Circleville for four
days in mid-October when close to a halfmillion people
Bock into (his central Ohio town of 13,000 (or the
annual Pumpkin Show, billed by local residents as "the greatest free show on eaith."
Many of the townspeople helping to make it the
"greatest show'' are Du Ponters. who work at the Film Department's Crrcknnlle plant
There are parades, concerts, country and western
singing groups, contests m hog-ulling, pumpkin pn-
eating and egg-tossing -- and a competition to and the
Great Pumpkin (in sue. that ts) "it's an autumn (estival tradition that's been going on
(or about 70 years." says 1 erry Agin, a data processor at
the Film plant who's an entertainment announcer dur-
ing Pumpkin Show time "It sort ot puts Circleville on the mao." he soys Cad Manson, a seniorclerk accountant at the plant, is
m charge of budding the industrial'' float, sponsored
by Ou Pont and Other ma/ur industries in town. About
40 or SO floats are entered m the seven parades which
take place throughout (he Show
Other employees help out in food booths and m other
facets of the festivities. "There's general, widespread participation by Du
Ponters." says Manson.
The aim of the Pumpkin Show is to haw tun. "We ly
to keep it in a light win with only Use slightest hint of seriousness." Agin notes
The "serious" part takes place when judging for the
largest pumpkin gets underway. This year, the winning entry tipped the scales at 37B pounds.
How do they grow them that big? "I heard one farmer
hooked up an IV (intravenous feeding) to a stem and
kept a steady diet of m-lk flowing to his pumpkins." says
Agm. "They simply baby them; handle them with kid
gloves " rund ***!?
dWr
..*c>4. Wr.n j
i ,
ANTIOCH, CAL... from victim to healer XWIllUl fcAflXAT
Cart leek (fetl/ mi Mtew tMpennxw Tens Yeung How do you tell someone who has been badly burned that things will get benetf
Thai s the problem racing Cad Beck, a maintenance supervisor at the Antioch, Cal., plant, each week.
Beck is president of "Burr* Recovered." a volunteer group >et up by the St. Francis Hospital Sum Center m San Francisco The group is composed ol former pa, dents at the burn center and is one of only a few m the j country | The two ituior problems of bum victims," says t Beck, a Du Pont employee tor 19 years, "are infection I and the psychological effects Many burn victims die not dom theu burns but trom giving up The hospital dec idea no one could relate to these people better than tumeottc who hjy ixv through it ' i Beck went through it ' tuur vear jgo On October 9 ! >971 he received second and third degree burns over
more than 35 per cent of hi* budy when he was sprayed
with hot. molten caustic at the Antioch plant. He spent
5`A weeks m the St. Francis Hospital Burn Center, but. luckily wav back at work by December
Ber L is one of 25 active members in "Burns Recov ered" who make regular visits in patients and meet monthly at the hospital to discuss their problems and progress Tlturr role is tu talk with burn patients, explain what type ot therapy they may need and help the pattern readjust to society when released white the volunteers have >x) lormaf training, they receive regular assistance and counseling from the hospital -.uff
Another S5 to 60 people are *emi*aciive because they live too Ear trom the hospital These people help any recently-released patients (runt tlietr home area by pro vidmg transportation, doing errands, working with the family and /up being available if needed
"We wait unit/ a patient < an have visitors." Beck explains "Sometimes you lee! the rapport right oaf. sometimes not But it's great when someone says. I'm glad you Came. I missed you
He remembers one eighth grade boy who was badly burned m an alcohol dash fire during a school physics
experiment "it was difficult establishing communication for a
long lime." Beck says "Methought ins world had ended -- and he'd never play bail again But he's back m schoo< and has a good outlook-"
Beck admits his experience has maoe him even more satety conscious and he savs. with relief, there have been no burn accidents at the plant since his This, m part has helped him avoid one problem many "8urns
Recovered volunteers lace
'Its very dilticutt. nesavs 'for some bum victims to
visit smtu.\i**c who has hail . umtijr ju.i<ie*nl lu theirs i`m lortunate m that mere ar^n t many incidents uxe
mme
Cart Masson il*T(j and Terry Acm with Th* Crui YwwpMn.
DUP 1005004
1>
DU PONT
3**>- -"'Jr 3v`
APRIL 1976
VOL 5/NO 1
DU PONT MOBILIZES AGAINST THE RISK OF OCCUPATIONAL
CANCER
The company's experience puts it in good position to meet the
challenge posed by new findings on the dangers of long-term, low-level exposure
to chemicals.
The newt media recently have given a great deal of attention to the
and screening of new compounds and regulate the use of substances that
search for causes of cancer, with spe are toxic. The industry is concerned,
cial focus on the problem of cancer however, that some of the proposed
resulting from on-the-job exposure to laws grant too broad authority to
carcinogens (substances that cause screen and test chemicals.
cancer). Chemical company em
ployees understandably may be con The Long-Term Exposure Hazartf"
cerned by this public discussion.
Much of the present concern over
This Managamant Bullatin attempts occupationally related cancer arose
to place the problem in perspective. as s result of two incidents at other
It discusses the reaction of Ou Pont chemical companies in which it was
and the rest of industry to the new facts being uncovered, and it de scribes the company's efforts to in
discovered that employees had de veloped cancer after long-term expo sure to carcinogens. In one case, vinyl
sure a safe working environment
chloride monomer caused a rare liver
Ou Pont is involved in the issue be cancer in exposed workers, and in the
cause it makes or uses a few of the other, the chemical bis-chloromethyf
materials that have been identified as ether was found to cause lung cancer.
potentially carcinogenic in human be During the long period over which
ings. The company's long-standing those chemicals were produced, nei
commitment to the safety of its em ther had been considered carcino
ployees extends to the carcinogen genic. Substances such as asbestos,
problem. As described later, deter beta-naphthylamine and benzidine
mining what is safe in handling car were known to be cancer hazards on
cinogens is more difficult than with the job. but the number of occupa
tional carcinogens was thought to be
Du Pont believes these substances can be handled safely, but it is committed to closing down any
limited. Today 17 substances are cur rently subject to workplace control through government regulation be cause of carcinogenicity.
operation where they cannot be
"Our understanding of the poten
tial effects of long-term, low-level
other kinds of hazards. Nevertheless. Ou Pont believes these substances
exposure to certain chemical sub stances is clearer than it was just a
can be handled safely, but the com few years ago," says William R. Gal
pany is committed to closing down loway, Jr., Du Pont's director of en
any operation where they cannot be. vironmental affairs. "We've learned
Du Pont and other chemical pro that some previously unsuspected
ducers are supporting legislation that materials are more dangerous than
would provide added public protec was thought to be the case. But, at
tion by giving the Federal government Du Pont we have several things in our
additional power to require testing favor. For example, our concern for
.
I
DUP 1005005
DU 050792
safety has led us to tightly control ex 100,000 population (age adjusted), of course, any incidence of cancer re
posure to products that have toxic declined 9 per cent among women be sulting from on-the-job hazards is very
effects, such as damage to body or- tween the periods 1951-53 and serious because it involves human
' gans. Chemicals that are carcinogenic 1971-73. The rate increased 19 per suffering and probable loss of life,
are also likely to have other toxic cent among men. mainly due to a large insofar as it might have been pre
effects. Thus, some chemicals that increase (135 per cent) in lung cancer. vented if knowledge of the hazard
may turn out to be carcinogens are Thus, increases in the overall cancer were greater, any single incidence of
already under tight controls because death rate have resulted largely from cancer is tragic.
of their toxicity.
a higher rate of lung cancer. Most ex
But the question must be asked,
"In 1935 we established one of the perts now attribute the increase in how serious is occupationally related
first industrial toxicology laboratories lung cancer to cigarette smoking.
cancer in the context of the total can
in the country, the Haskell Laboratory
The U.S., incidentally, is not the cer problem? That question is nearly
for Toxicology and Industrial Medi world leader in cancer deaths. In a impossible to answer because re
cine. It has done outstanding work in World Health Organization list of 44 search in epidemiology--the study of
identifying hazards and helping es countries it ranks 19th in deaths from the distribution of disease in human
tablish safe practices. A major expan cancer in men, and 18th for women. populations--has lacked data to
sion of the laboratory is under way. Many West European countries rank separate the occupational causes
We have been monitoring the health ahead of the U.S. Furthermore, some from other causes of cancer. John
of our employees through periodic less industrialized nations have higher Higginson, director of the Interna
physical exams since 1915. These cancer rates than more industrialized tional Agency for Research on Can
preventive measures stand us in countries.
cer, of the World Health Organization,
good stead as we tackle the current
The medical research community is estimates that less than 1 per cent of
problem."
now gradually shifting more of its all cancers have been shown to be
effort toward identifying the causes related to occupational factors. But
The Cancer Problem
of cancer in an effort to prevent it (but he also says that the causes of most
"The attention that has been given the main emphasis is still on finding cancers are still unknown. John Weis-
to the cancer problem in the media a cure). In the past, research on burger, a widely known cancer spe
may make it seem that we are in a causes tended to focus on two areas cialist with the Naylor Dana Institute,
cancer epidemic." says Galloway, --viruses and the genetic makeup recently said that occupationally re
"and thal the disease is increasing we inherit from our parents. So far, lated cancer was probably in the
due to exposure to the products of in viruses have been linked with cancer range of 1.5 to 3 per cent of all cancer
dustry, and especially to chemicals. in animals, but not in man. Heredity deaths. But he noted that estimates
But the facts give a different picture." may turn out to be implicated in can in this area must be largely a matter
It is true that cancer now causes cer, but more as a factor that makes of guesswork.
about one-fifth of all deaths in the a person susceptible than as a cause
U.S., and that makes it the second leading cause of death, after heart disease Roughly half of all cancer
in itself. Lately, the attention of scientists
has turned to so-called "environmen
The Past Is Not Always a Happy Story The risks do exist, and they are
risks that something can be done
deaths are caused by the three most common forms of the disease--can cer of the lung, the large intestine and the breast.
tal" causes. The term refers to cancer caused by exposure to all materials in our environment--not just mate rials in the air and water, but sub
about. But it's not simple. Du Pont's experience bears that
out. In the 1930s, the company real ized that an unusually high incidence
stances we come in contact with of bladder tumors was becoming evi
The incidence of cancer has gone up, but that statistic by itself can be misleading
because of diet, our lifestyles, our occupations. Cigarette smoking is an environmental factor. Recent esti mates by government agencies and
dent among employees who worked with dyes at the Chambers Works in New Jersey. Largely to investigate the problem, the company established
private researchers variously attrib Haskell Laboratory near Wilmington
The incidence of cancer has gone ute 50 to 90 per cent of all cancer to It was one ol the first industry instal
up, but that statistic by itself can be environmental causes, but there are lations devoted solely to studying po
misleading, The death rate from can big gaps in the knowledge on which tential hazards posed by products
cer has increased in recent decades these estimates are based.
The bladder tumor cause was iden
for men but not for women. According
tified as beta-naphthylamine, a dye
to the latest analysis of trends by the The Occupational Risk
intermediate. Tight controls were es
American Cancer Society, the death
How serious a problem is occupa tablished, exposure to the product
rate from all types of cancer per tionally related cancer? In one sense, was greatly reduced, and medical
DUP 1005006
DU 050793
monitoring of employ**# was begun. Procoss redesign was undertaken. In the end. Du Pont stopped manufacturing the chemical largely.jQcaus* it was felt exposure could wfcfee retiably limited to a safe levaftrhen the product reached customers*- plants. Nevertheless, 276 cases of bladder tumor among Chambers Works em ployees exposed to the chemicals have been recorded over the years-- mainly resulting from exposure dur ing a period of 30 years ago, or earlier. (In addition, 63 cases have been recorded among employees who worked at another plant which Du Pont acquired and owned during the 1930s in Wisconsin.)
Significantly, in scientific, medical and industrial circles, this incident at the time was considered something of a rarity, as explained by Dr. John A. Zapp, director of Haskell Laboratory for the past 23 years.
"The idea that many substances might be carcinogenic was not given a great deal of consideration in the scientific community," Dr. Zapp says. "As late as 1952, a leading pharma cologist of the Yale University School of Medicine wrote a textbook in which he said that only three pure agents were known to cause cancer in man -- beta-naphthylamine, arsenic and radiation."
In fact, other materials had been found to be carcinogenic, but this reference indicates something of the state of scientific knowledge in this field at the time.
In studies of new chemicals, em phasis traditionally was on determin ing acute toxicity, the level of short term exposure that caused adverse reactions in experimental animals. Less attention was given to chronic toxicity, the effect of low-dose expo sure over the lifetime of experimental animals.
The Problems of Testing Haskell and other laboratories now
do increasing numbers of chronic toxicity studies. The trend, in part, is due to Federal legislation requiring long-term tests on all drugs, food
additives and agricultural chemicals before they are marketed. It's also due to the recent upsurge of concern over carcinogens, and Du Pont's determi nation to identify and control this hazard.
Chronic toxicity tests are quite ex pensive. They call for large numbers of animals and can last two or three years, or more.
"The cost of doing such a study in 1958 was more than $100,000," Or. Zapp recalls. "Today, the cost can run five times that amount.11
Testing for carcinogenicity is a
complex matter
Testing for carcinogenicity is a complex matter. One problem is sim ply the lack of an exact correlation between animal carcinogens and hu man carcinogens. There is, however, high probability that a substance which causes cancer in appropriate species of laboratory animals may also be a human carcinogen at suffi cient dose levels.
There are enormous technical prob lems in doing studies that pinpoint the effects of very low concentrations-- fractions of one part per million, for example.
But the biggest puzzle now is, what substances should be tested for car cinogenicity? Many thousands of compounds are produced by modern industry, and all cannot be subjected to lengthy, costly testing. There are, however, some indicators as to which materials are likely to be hazardous.
For example, if a substance has a chemical structure similar to that of a known carcinogen, it immediately attracts suspicion. But "guilt by asso ciation" has its limitations. A notori ous instance in which it did not apply was vinyl chloride monomer. This substance is not chemically related to other carcinogens and was, in fact, long regarded as relatively nonhazardous. Now, toxicologists are look ing closely at similar chlorinated hydrocarbons.
Recent interest has focused on de velopment of relatively short "screen
ing" testa to determine which chemi cals should be tested further. One widely used screening test is for mutagenicity, the ability of a sub stance to cause mutations in a cell. Rapidly multiplying bacteria or yeast cells are used, and mutagenicity can be established fairly quickly. It ap pears that about 85 per cent of all carcinogens are also mutagens.
On the other hand, not every chemi cal that proves mutagenic will prove carcinogenic as well. Very little is known, in fact, about what percentage of mutagens might be expected to cause cancer in animals. Thus, the screen could lead to wide testing of noncarcinogenic substance*.
These are some of tf .ifficulties in tracking down potr I cancercausing agents. A great deal of scien tific expertise is now being brought to bear on the problem, and it seems reasonable to assume that testing
methods will become more reliable in the years ahead.
Lists and More Lists In the meantime, lists are being
compiled of substances that, to some degree or another, have been linked with cancer.
One such list contains 1,500 sub stances. It was published by the Na tional Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, a Federal agency that does research but has no regulatory power. To be on the list a substance must have been associated in some way with cancer in the scientific literature. Du Pont's view is that many of the items should not be included because the evidence cited is in error, is inadequate, or is contradicted by other evidence.
Undoubtedly, research will continue to identify more carcinogens. At pres ent, however, when definite proof of carcinogenicity is required, the lists are relatively short. The American Conference of Governmental Indus trial Hygienists, for example, lists 23 carcinogenic agents for which it has recommended limits of exposure.
The list that is perhaps best known is the Occupational Safety and Health
DUP 1005007
DU 050794
Administration's list of 17 carcinogens for which that agency hae issued regulations. (Many of the regulations are based on information originally developed by industry.) The regula tions aim at limiting employee expo sure and require monitoring of concentration levels in regulated plant areas.
Du Pont makes two and uses one of the chemicals on the list, and for merly made or used certain others. The two are produced at Chambers Works in relatively small units. On the basis of its experience and on pub lished studies, Du Pont believes that one of these, alpha-naphthylamine, is not a carcinogen. The other chemir identified by OSHA as a carcinor is "Moca" curing agent, a rubber ing agent. The chemical ethylenimine, also on the list, is purchased for use at Ft. Madison, Iowa, in producing in termediates for coatings, but does not appear in the products as sold. The company adheres closely to all OSHA requirements in handling these sub stances. Du Pont's medical surveil lance programs have revealed no health problems among employees working with these substances.
(A fourth item on the OSHA list, beta-propiolactone, has been detected in less than toxic levels in a closed waste stream at Parkersburg, W.Va. The chemical is destroyed in waste treatment.)
The OSHA list of regulated sub stances undoubtedly will be ex panded. Meanwhile. NIOSH and the National Cancer Institute intermit tently release to the news media in formation on other substances that some researchers have linked with cancer.
Du Pont's Decision "The safety of our products and of
the people who make and use them has always been of the highest pri ority to us," says Galloway. "As a con sequence. we have developed our own system for managing the carcino gen problems."
When there is suspicion that a chemical is carcinogenic, an imme-
diate effort is made to assess the potential hazard and determine what action is required. The manufactur ing department, in cooperation with Haskell, may determine that the sub stance is probably linked to cancer, and that further steps are necessary. The first concern is to safeguard the health of employees, with a program which may include revision of work practices, requirements for additional protective equipment, process changes, or other improved engineer ing controls. Employees are informed why such steps are necessary.
When there is suspicion that a
chemical is carcinogenic, an immediate
effort is made to assess the
potential hazard
A program for monitoring and measuring exposure levels may al ready be in effect. If not, the program is instituted along with an examina tion of employee medical histories to determine possible adverse effects on health. Medical surveillance proce dures, as well as the recording of em ployee exposures, are undertaken.
Depending on the circumstances, a variety of groups--employees, cus tomers, appropriate governmental agencies, other producers, the media --may be notified of the actions taken. And if safe handling cannot be as sured, production is to be shut down and sales halted until adequate safe guards are developed.
Carrying Out the Intent As William Galloway has pointed
out, Du Pont has the capacity to carry out the program described above.
The process of determining whether a substance may be linked with can cer begins with Haskell Laboratory's review of chemicals made or used at Du Pont plants. The laboratory has been assessing the degree of hazard these substances might present.
The assessment may be based on references to the chemical in scien tific studies, the chemical's similarity
DUP 1005008
DU 050795
to known carcinogens, or the results of screening tests.
Long-term testing requiring lifetime
animal tests may be indicated The growing demand for such studies is the main reason for the current ex pansion of Haskell. Laboratory space is being increased by 70 per cent.
When all available evidence on a chemical has been accumulated and evaluated, the decision may be made to describe it either as causing cancer in human beings; as causing cancer in animals; or as a suspected animal carcinogen, the evidence being mod erate but inconclusive. This identifica tion by Ou Pont is in addition to the OSHA list of regulated substances.
At this time, nine chemicals have been identified by Du Pont as causing cancer in animals, or as suspected of doing so: 1. m-Toluenediamine (MTD), a dye in termediate made at Chambers Works. 2.. 3. Zinc and lead chromates, used in making pigments frequently found in paints--but not in Du Pont's major lines of consumer paints. Made at Newark, N.J. 4. Ethylenethiourea, primarily a neo prene curing agent made at Chambers Works. 5. Dioxane, purchased for use as a solvent in making adhesive products at Parlin, N.J., and South San Fran cisco, -Calif., and precious metal com positions at Niagara Falls, N.Y.
6. Beta-propiolactone (see above). 7. Hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA), a solvent used in making "Kevlar'' aramid fiber, made at Chambers Works and used at the Spruance plant, Richmond. Va. 8. Carbon tetrachloride, made at Corpus Chnsti, Texas, used at several other plants as an intermediate for fluorocarbons and "Hypalon" syn thetic rubber, 9. 1.-4 Dichloro-butene-2 (DCB), inter mediate for nylon and neoprene, made at Pontchartrain, La,, and Victoria, Texas.
The steps taken to reduce exposure may range from setting up restricted areas where no one is allowed with out protective clothing, to installing pew vent and scrubber systems, to
redesigning the process, to special maintenance procedures.
Galloway points out that measures such as these are nothing, new to Du Pont
"We have a tremendous amount
of experience in handling hazardous products safely," he says. "Just to take two examples, we've been pro ducing tetraethyl lead and chlorine for many years, in large quantities. We've learned to control the risk and make these products safely."
Du Font's carcinogen analysis may include studies of the incidence of health problems among employees exposed to the chemical. Dr. Sidney Pell, epidemiologist in Du Font's Med ical Division, describes this work:
"In 1956 we established a cancer registry. It essentially is a record of all employees who develop cancer, except for nonfatal types of skin can cer. When company employees as a group are compared to large popula tions outside the company that have been studied, there is no significant difference between the employees and comparison groups."
Studies are also done of employees exposed to a specific chemical. In this
type of study, employees who have been exposed at some time in the past are followed to the present to deter mine whether they have experienced an excessive incidence of some form of cancer.
Dr. Pell has done one study, of Du Pont employees working with zinc and lead chromates, in which there was some suggestion of a higher than normal incidence of lung cancer. The data were too limited to support defi nite conclusions. A multi-company study sponsored by members of the industry is nearly complete; and it may provide conclusive evidence as to whether there is a problem.
In another current study being done by Dr. Pell, there will be enough data to support reliable conclusions. Dr. Pell is studying the medical histories of employees exposed to chloroprene, a neoprene intermed ate once made at Chambers Works ana now made at Victoria, Texas, and Pontchartrain, La., and used at Pontchartrain and
DUP 1005009
DU 050796
3s*-
,Ti ph 1 tiiniaL
Louisville, Ky. Recent reparto btbovfet technical literature claimed'a higttor incidence of eanoer among worker* in a neoprene plant, andAm reporta prompted the Ou Pont BrSo far, Dr. Pell says, the data d^jjfindicate a statistically signifleanf Sncees mor tality from any form of cancer among employees as a result of exposure to chloroprene. The study is continuing.
What Is "Safer* But the question still persists, what
is a "safe" level of exposure to a car cinogen? It is a very difficult question to answer. The problem is not the same as with acute toxicity, where safe levels can usually be fully dem onstrated in the laboratory,
"If you want me to give you an ab solutely guaranteed level of safe ex posure to a carcinogen, I can do it. The level is zero," says Dr. Zapp. "But that's because it's logically impos sible to prove that just one molecule of the substance would never have a harmful effect on anyone who might come in contact with it.
"What we consider ourselves obliged to do is to operate responsibly in the
light of the best knowledge we
can obtain."
"On the other hand, we know that the carcinogenic effect is dose-re lated," Dr. Zapp says. "That is, the incidence of cancer and the time it takes for a cancer to develop are di rectly related to the level of exposure. This means that we can reduce expo sure to a point where earner will not occur in a person's lifetMi There Is evidence that we have don* just that, with certain industrial chemicals that we now know cause cancer in animals and could expect to cause cancer in man. But there is no indication they have caused cancer in exposed employees."
Another perspective is offered by
Qailoway: "Wlwt we consider our selves obliged to do Is to operate responsibly in the light of the beat knowledge of hazards that we can obtain. Fortunately, our employees are very cooperative In the pro of establishing safety procedures and they understand the importance of following them. They are accustomed to changes in procedures as hazards are constantly radefined. All this works in our favor."
Toxic Substances Act
Ths Toxic Substances Act now being considered in committee* of Congress may eventually give the government a strong hand in requir ing manufacti. era to detect and men age the care ogen risk.
When passed, the legislation would givs ths Environmental Protaction Agency the power to require testing of substances, including tests for car cinogenicity. It would permit the EPA to require testing and screening of new chemicals before they are marketed.
Richard E. Hackert, Du Pont senior vice president, recently outlined the company's response to proposed leg islation, a position shared by many other chemical firms.
"The chemical industry supports additional Federal legislation on toxic substances that will close the gaps in present laws and offer greater protec tion to workers, consumers and the general public," Heckert said. "We support Federal authority to require testing of selected chemicals, and premarket notification or screening of new chemicals and significant new uses of established chemicals. We also support the authority to restrict or limit uses, or ban production of chemical substances."
There are two proposed bills which give the EPA broad power to require testing and screening of a wide range of substances. Du Pont and others would prefer to focus efforts on sub stances that appear to present sig
nmeant risks. The induetry le concerned that exceeetaetybroad | market testing and screening requk mente could inhibit the Industry**^ traditional emptiest on innovattanrl and development of new products. In the development stsgee, new chemi cals are already routinely handled.. with greet cere until their degree of toxicity is established.
Du Pont favors, in general, a WH sponsored by John Y. McCollister (R.-N*b.), according to Heckert The McCollister bin limits tsstlng and screening to significant risk areas. It also requires that the least burden some controls be imposed to prevent or sufficiently reduce the risk. Ban ning would take place only if neceesary. Consideration of the economic impact would be required when a substance is controlled. The Ford Administration has endorsed the McCollister bill, with certain amend ments which Du Pont finds accept able. A new bill containing these amendments has been introduced as H.R. 12336.
The Industry Initiative The chemical industry is initiating
its own positive action. Du Pont and 17 other chemical companies have joined to establish the Chemical In dustry Institute of Toxicology. The companies have pledged about $15 million for initial costs, and a head quarters site has been selected near Raleigh, N.C.
CUT will first concentrate on the carcinogenic potential of nonpropri etary, widely used chemicals. The first two to be investigated will be ethylene and toluene. Emphasis will be on both testing chemicals and on developing new test methods for studying toxic ity. Results of the studies wilt be made public.
The new institute is evidence of the industry's belief that the hazards can be identified and precautions can be taken to establish safe working conditions.
DUP 1005010
G CLINTON COLLINS. EDITOR ROOM 8074 DU PONT BUILDING WILMINGTON. DELAWARE
8 DU 050797