Document qajpQ4jgjNZggDY3Md819wqgn

FILE NAME: Drywall Spackling Compounds (DWSC) DATE: 1973 Jan 3 DOC#: DWSC004 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine to the Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades f MOUNT SINAI S C HO OL OF MEDICINE ojTlic City University c jy e w York F I F T H AV E NUE AND I 0 0 TH S T R E E T S E W Y ORK, N.Y. 10039 .I oj Community / ( i January 3, 1973 ii ' *iir. S. Frank- Raftery, General President .Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades United Union Building _ * "1750 New York Avenue, X.\f. .* * ,..^Washington, D.C. . * * . Dear Mr. Raftery: 20006 - .` , ;-' * .-* .* ` . * - . _ . * - ' . , * . . ' ` ` .** . I regret that I do not have a very happy report concerning initial findings in our examinations of tapers in New York City. Y/ith the cooperation of Mr. John Alfarone and Local 1974 of the ' " 'international Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, we-ex- 'cmined 17 members of the Local. Our Concern, of course, was whether the dusts inhaled at their work (particularly asbestos) might be associated with lung damage. * The x-ray studies showed definite fibrosis to be present in a pro p o r t i o n of the men. These results should be evaluated with the realization that x-rays always under-represent the amount of scar- `-'ring to be present and that most damage first makes its appearance .20 or more years after onset of work. ' . ,,U-ri-.-... ' - Ihe following table summarizes the findings in the .small sample of men so far examined. . ... .. * Years fro ' onset of taping* work * ;0 9 - 1 0 - '19 20 - 29 V Number examined- **. s`%. \ ' %m\* X-ray evidence of . fibrosis____ Number... Percent :' * -.' 5 r" * '* ** '* 50.rj?* 69? J . . .*<f` * Vv ^ v t *? *V*s-..ml- 1 % ^ k.* a i PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT J 3V-/ * * ] 1  / x-ray changes aro not unlike those seen among asbestos insulation jrkers with s lmilar work experience. Local 1974 - Tapers Locals 12 32 - In sillat ion Work Years' from onset of work 0-9 10-19 20-29 `<}... 30-39 40+ * Nanabcr Examined * 0 io . 7 ~ . ** Percent Fibrosis , 6or. - . 59% m m Number Examined Percent Fibrosis 346 379 77 194 .121 10.4 44.1 ` 72.8 87.1 - . 94.2* 1,117 . # `' . ` Of course, no conclusions can be drawn iron such few data. Nevertheless, * even these linited experiences suggest that a problem of serious propor tions- ma y be in the offing. Among insulation workers in the construction industry, few cancers occur in the first twenty years. After this mark is reached, cancer and pneumoconiosis become serious hazards. In the period 1967-1971, for example, almost half of all deaths were due to cancer of one type or another, with 205. of deaths due to lung cancer alone Apprehension has been heightened b y another observation. 'A member of Local 798, Hr. S. Esposito, was found 19 months ago to have lung cancer, ^ ~>d the affected lung was removed. Analysis of the tissues showed a /. * eat deal of asbestos, with literally billions of small, fine fibers present, similar to the numbers found in asbestos insulation workers' r ;*'lungs. (Unfortunately, despite the operation, Mri Esposito died seven' months ago.) . - ' ;* .* V-.- .-''a V L i - '.'I.It .- - You may be assured of our full cooperation in such measures you believe V. . will be of assistance in promoting the health of your members. * -.' x* r1-- - ' -- z '*;^7 .r \ ' V `Sincerely yours, .*, %* i*,1 V; .\ -A v *-- .V ' - ;. . IrVing j. Selikoff, M.D. - . Professor .r . v-i-r-r 1* v , :.v .v . .". -A. '.-f*--***'' -''*v"1--V.v* * WVA .* * IJSrdf --a **^--*Dir- ec>tor *, v E- rnviron.*mental Scien-ce*s- *L',a*b^orva*t. ory. , * . % * / .. .cc;Mx`. James Wolford *> .* * #*V' . t :*/ v --.w ' v.Uineturer / onci ' s p a g l i l e c<...i,fjunclc Material Clirysotilc A sb e sto s Quartz Mica Talc Other u .s. u .s. u .s. Gypsum A Gypsum B Gypsum C Tape compound Tape compound "Nurobond" + 1 4- + u.s. Gypsum D Jointing compound + . u .s . Gypsum E "Rednix" + u .s . Gypsum F Wall board seal . + u.s. Gypsum G ` Taping compound + Muralco N .A . If. A. Spackle Spackle Spackle + * * . * + . 0 ' N.A*. - Plaster board 0 If.A. Plaster board 0 N;A. . .. Tile setters cement 0 0 + 0 0 + 0 0 + 0 0 + 0 + . 4* 0 . + 4- 0 4* . 4- ; 4- + 4- * 4-' 4- 4- : 0 4- ' 0 4- 7 + .. 4- 0 + + " ; o. .. + 4- q 444+ 444+ 4-' 0 ' + + .4- . Techniques utilized: optical microscopy, electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction acKle and rtping c o m p o u n d s : ' * * . 'm Chrysotile asbestos I " Quartz - " - ' Mica * ; ' ' ' Talc . -*- - 9/10 6/10 9/10 2/10 Confidential Arthur N, Rohl, Ph.D. Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of J'ew York January 23, 1974