Document pBeNZ4BrBDYQv821b2YZMwYBj

November 2, 1982 R. T. Berendt T. M. Bistline L. J. Boesch D. S. Frazer H. M. Galloway V. T. Matteucci W. J. McCarville E2ND E2ND B2SC 1670 1670 B2SC G3WG cc. D . R. Bishop C. F. Callis B3CA W. R. Gaffey G2WE J. F. Hussey G. D. Ingenthron J. T. Nolan G. Roush G 2WG E. Tillman G 2WF Attached is a draft news release and prepardness Q/A on Suskind's health effects study. Please review and let me have your comments by Wednesday afternoon, 11/3/82. Thanks. SGC:ue Attachments < S o a .cX ^ Sarah G. Collins con: SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C14144 taEWS FOR RELEASE IMMEDIATELY DRAFT/Suskind Study1 Monsanto Sarah G. Collins > -(314) 694-3860 PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT Monsanto Company '8 0 0 |Q_ L in d b erg h Boule vard ISt. Louis, Missouri 63167 P'7-n? ' REPQRT.PAILS TO .,FIND LINK BETWEEN TCDD AND REPORTED HEALTH PROBLEMS ST. LOUIS, NOV. 00 -- A study on the long term health effects of worker exposure found no link between exposure to ,, : - I V! the dioxin TCDD and several physical diseases and disorders including cancer', cardiovascular and reproductive abnormalities. ^.The health effect study, which required three years of .analysis, was conducted by Raymond h/ Suskind, M.D., one of the | 'f't'-d Its CHj world* s leading experts on|dioxin--exposure-,--at the University of Cincinnati-1s Department of Environmental Health. TCDD, a contaminent found in a herbicide component of Agent Orange, is at the center of a controversy over the health effects, HALAgentw-Gcange-exposure a on Vietnam veterans. SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. According to Dr. Suskind, there is no evidence of ^identifiable^long term effects on the cardiovascular system, including hypertension or coronary artery disease, liver, gastro intestinal tract or peripheral nerve function attributable to exposure to the phemical. There is also no indication oil"* -personal -historical--informatriorr-;-, of greater risks for miscarriages, stillbirths or birth defects among the families in which the male parent was exposed to TCDD. Additionally, Dr. Suskind did not find an abnormally high caiKjyi idLe among the study participants. ,, , /, * f, f; ' > l.v e v i -. 0/ " - more - "i C14145 V -2- However, Dr. Suskind did conclude that for employees exposed to TCDD, there were long term skin effects including chloracne,th hallmark of TCDD exposure, and the loss of skin elasticity around the areas affected by chloracne. Dr. Suskind examined 418 current and former male employees of Monsanto Company that produced the herbicide 2,4,5-T at its West Virginia plant between 1948 and 1969. -5CDD* M & u been idenLifxea as~li~contamTlT3nL"-n Lrhe--production of-- 2 ,4,3-'FT The employees involved in Dr. Suskind1s study 1 , ^ j' - T included workers who had been exposed to-9CDTT during a 1949 manufacturing accident in the 2,4,5-T unit as well as those who worked with the herbicide over the years. This health effects study is the second major study conducted by Dr. Suskind on Monsanto's West Virginia employees. In 1980, he co-authored a report on the mortality (cause of death) of employees who had been exposed to TCDD during the 2,4,5-T accident in 1949. The results of that investigation indicated no excess in total deaths or in deaths from cancer or cardiovascular disease. Dr. Suskind recently presented a review of his health effects study at the Third International Symposium on Chlorinated Dioxins and Related Compounds in Salzburg, Austria. O NF a 3A L SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. - more - C14146 L v 1 -3- 2,4,5-T was a component of Agent Orange, a defoliant r iv . ^ u *7j_n r!C: 'i i ci rn - , ( * *^vr*; ' f n v ^ i.' c, used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War. Dr. Suskind's latest study on the long term effects of TCDD exposure supports the majority of medical and scientific data which has failed to show a cause/effect relationship between Agent Orange " tr f t veterans. exposure and health problems vt-f'-vY't iv ' r \ r n T ~ , ----, tf 1-77 . ' r -n -rr^ rt v , reported by Vietnam f -t **ty&v -- *> r t ^ r ' n r* \?^y- L. V *.* i\-f A* f-V.# n ,* t. m ^ r e s t i a s u o n rntn. cateci no e x c e s s m tots.i. cieatns o r in destms* ijj.'e!'i t t-*-.* '* e?r *.1**7 .`.jj.ii I** ijJ.* 'ri-*_ n o<.1 Jll>*' ^I j SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. Clil'47 V `' NEWS FOR RELEASE IMMEDIATELY DRAFT/Suskind Study (314) 694-3860 PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT Monsanto Company 800 N. Lin dbergh Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63167 REPORT FAILS TO FIND LINK BETWEEN TCDD AND REPORTED HEALTH PROBLEMS ST. LOUIS, NOV. 00 -- A study on the long term health 'effects of worker exposure found no link between exposure to the dioxin TCDD}and several physical diseases and disorders :-- d>i m cluding cancer, cardiovascular,,and reproductive abnormalities. * The- health -rngn^-rril tT~~ i r i iii~ii i n T 'L igi) was conducted by Raymond A.^guskind, M.D., one of the Yfii ^ world's leading experts^on^dioxin exposure, at the University of Cincinnati's Department of Environmental TTrnlth jrrpn, n rnrtnrrinrnt fnilrui--.fTT--a--h p _ r h -- jfr^ail^the center of a-- controversy~ove f "the^ft^ai'trhr^gffgctS~<3*f~AgfeiifCTa.ngu" uiyuaiut Vietnam AGearding to Dr. Suskindy "fhero-- t* protective o r d e r . o-'^Su^ontifiable- long-term effects on the cardiovascular system, Inc ludin^vfiypertens ion or coronary artery disease,^liverKgastro intestinal trabt^o^peripheral nerve function attributable to exposure to the heiriic^lj There is also no indication, based on /ndtVte!'jaJ -,\\c_(j\( A:(i<r. i pf^r f ? h i r t ^ r i i n f i n/, of greater risks formiscarriages, stillbirths or birth defects amonbv the families in which the s male parent was exposed to TCDD. Additionally, Dr, Suskind did -v-^-=--*-=fXcs--. / iv*t iadj^n f.abi>otMQlly fc^fh cancer ^af mong"~ th s tu'dy participants-^ (i^ -- -------- --- - -- - more - C1414& However, -2-i by- prtfduc^K o-- <5- 1 CUf\duj&uvZaditrr\j __ tt\c/utAa_____ _________ 1 Dr. "Sus'kind'd/Ld conclude tnat for ..employees - 'exposed 'to TCDD, there were l<j>ng term skin effects 'including chloracne-, the hallmark of TCDp exposure, and the. loss .of,skin elasticity around the areas affected by chloracne. Dr. Suskind examined 41l8o current anda frormer-malre . ---- C6O-^0uUoO uU 0x-rAvltuailL- /fcL *1 employees of Monsanto Company\ t^hhat produced -the ->herbicide u 2,4,5-T at its West Virginia i^Lant between 1948 and 1969.-- TGDD hac been identified as--a contaminant in the productiun u5-,4, 5-3U. The employees involved \ n Dr. Suskind* s study \ , S?__ ...j included workers who "had~been exposed toiTCDDjduring a 1949 -manufacturing accident-in the-2,4,5-T unities well as those who [V\ lPfO^U cff/n of 1 ' worked war^h^the herbicide'over .-the years.- ' ' This'health'effects `study`is th e 'second" major study /h "conducted'by Dr;---Suskind^on-`Monsanto!`s West-Virginia -- *-`- -empldyees. ' iri.rl980 ,' he co-authored-"a report -on .the mortality --{cause' of death)- of employees w h o h a d been exposed~JaeaSSSS>im-r:`~; during the 2,4,5-T accident in 1949. The results of that as?! H i ^investi-gation^indieated no excess fin total deaths or .in deaths 3h j from cancer or cardiovascular disease. QQ Ug Dr. Suskind recently presented'a review of his health effects-study-at -the--Third-International Symposium-on-- ; .. Chlorinated Dioxins and Related Compounds in Salzburg, - `Austria. ^ 7 H t & L J V**"***^***. A^ - , .. -U ^ ^ ^^ CaAAJc^-U(J,J> * / * * * / h l ' ^ ^ - mMo/r1e' 6 c A:P'i /bJH A d t t s p C i M 'f a t i r f ll- f t i w t / / ' ' / ' 1 (H JnuA JL. C14149 f- A ** * -3- 2,4,5-T was a component of Agent Orange, a defoliant used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War. Dr. Suskind's latest ~n i&hr 1nnif tnrm nffn 1111 i fi^T II1 f o s f o b cj-M/k b ^ o ( y w u ______ L fcr A J i x JUuli ZOUAJL^a A d L J f o t ^ U l . j f o , J u l /iV czsia^ fd p j j d f _ d^j (jU jjfo . ($).\u a k -A-- sP L A j% L tlsf L fo .siU tsfa _.4 _> t ^ = s ^ ./Lt/iA -ftJL Ut i f o A j u v u J M j J & L O s U , i atii*. * I* JL ' SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C14150 *0* / > DRAFT Q/A 11/1/82 Q/A *"' :_-Suskind_ Health Effects ;Study .--- -" -* ---- ' ji. CJ11 LG__ 1. Q. Did Dr. Suskind receive any money from Monsanto for his study? A. Yes, he did. The study was also supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the U.S. Public Health Service as well as the University of Cincinnati's Institute of " ^"Environmental Health. ,, 2. ,Q. How can the 'study be 'viewed'1as im^artidl' if^, \ ,,, ,,Monsanto helped .pay for it? - A. a j Dr. Suskind is one of the world's leading,experts on dioxin exposure. To doubt the validity of the study's?results because of Monsanto's funding is to impugn the reputation of a respected'medical " and scientific expert. -- r- -3.~ Q. ^ How-many-employees.were-involved-in-the study? t r` A. There were 418 white male employees in three groups relating to 2,4,5-T exposure? 204 in exposed population; 163 not exposed and 51 of questionable exposure. \7 ' 1 i I SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C l4151 4. Q. How come there are no minorities or women? There were minority and female employees involved in both the 2,4,5-T production history and the 1949 accident. However, the number was not large enough to allow a valid study and therefore, they were not included. 5. Q. Would their inclusion make any difference in the results? A. 6. Q. What effect does the health study have on pending litigation against Monsanto? The study results support Monsanto's position that its employees involved in 2,4,5-T production or in the 1949 accident have not experienced long-term health effects other than chloracne. As Monsanto stated when the lawsuit was filed (March '81), it does not believe the plaintiffs' charges have any merit and that the company will be vindicated. 7. Q. Wasn't 2,4,5-T used in Vietnam? A. 2,4,5-T was a component of Agent Orange, a defoliant used by U.S. military forces between 1962 and 1971 in Vietnam. 2,4,5-T and its contaminant 2,3,7,8-TCDD veteran's alleged health effects of exposure to Agent Orange.- The Suskind health effects study is yet another medical report which supports the majority of health and scientific data that has failed to find a cause/effect relationship between Agent Orange exposure and the health problems reported by Vietnam veterans. SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C14152  8. Q. What happened at your plant in 1949? A. In March of 1949, an accident occurred in the 2,4,5-T unit exposing those present and those later involved in the clean-up to potentially hazardous amounts of the chemical and its dioxin contaminant, 2,3,7-8 TCDD. Approximately 121 employees developed chloroacne, eye and respiratory tract irritation, headache, dizziness, nausea and liver disorder. These employees all received medical treatment after the accident for their exposurerelated conditions. All symptons, except some cases of chloracne, disappeared within several months. 9. Q. How long was Monsanto in the 2,4,5-T business? A. Monsanto manufactured 2,4,5-T between 1948 and 1969 when it discontinued production for economic reasons. oOo U C14153