Document qdoGVwkgvmQ9BaaRQnmxKy3yG

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REPORTER ConsMuti^TJve.. V,'. Washinr'.nr.. 120fl jtt+.nnn L. Asboatot AVOIDABLE EXPOSURES NOT JUSTIFIED. DESPITE WIDESPREAD USE. APHA TOLD NEW YORK. N.Y. -- (By an OSHR staff correspondent -- A leading researcher on the link between asbestos exposure and lung disease told an American Public Health Association meeting that no avoidable asbestos exposure can be justified. Irving J. Selikoff. professor of medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. New York. N.Y.. claimed that while some problems of asbestos exposure may be "insoluble" because of the mineral's unique industrial uses, exposures must be strictly limited to prevent the massive public health problems now arising from exposures which occured 20 to 30 years ago. If exposures are not controlled. Selikoff warned that socie ty 30 years from now will be questioning why 1979 researchers "accepted a 7 percent death rate." Selikoff's comments were made in response to questions raised at a session on the future of asbestos, held as part of APHA's annual meeting November 4 to 8. One participant questioned the use of asbestos-concrete pipe in public water systems, to which Selikoff responded that little is known about the problems of ingesting asbestos. David Rail, director of the National Institute for En vironmental Health Sciences, termed the asbestos concrete problem "a most troubling problem." He added that if the Government uses only epidemiological studies to regulate a substance, the long latent period of diseases will "make it impossible to study anything but 20-year-old exposures." He added that while estimating "life and death" issues is hazardous, estimates are necessary' to target opportunities for prevention. * One participant, quoting from the Johns-Manvllle Corpora tion 1978 annual report which showed increased overseas sales of asbestos, questio. ed what measures the company is taking to prevent the "e- ortation of health hazards" along with the substance. Paul Kotin. Johns-Ma tile vice president for safety and health, replied that the i :npany s marketing policy gives it the right to inspect cur Tier's control of asbestos, and to make available consult* on on safe use of the mineral. Selikoff also reported .e latest findings of a study he is conducting at the Key Highway Shipyard of Bethlehem Steel Companv in Balti; re. Md (Current Report. July 12. p. 123). Eight out of nine wo- ers at the shipyard had abnormal chest X-rays, Selikoff r jorted. He noted it is panicu rlv interesting that only repair and maintenance of older t' ps is done at Key Highway. Between 1690 and 1:. TO. more than 25 million tons of asbestos was put into tr.e environment in a number of in dustrial uses, asbestos which "now has to be maintained, repaired and remodeled " Selikoff concluded.