Document qmOxa0JL55rEejNv6Z7ZRGBOG

S t. Joseph Lead Company J o s e p h v ille (M onaco),, P< iMar Mr. Gahagaa; On March 30, 1965, Dr. Zi. A. Kehee, Director of the- Kettering laboratory. University of Cincinnati, accompanied me in a visit to the i. Jooeph Dead Dine omaiter at Moaaca lor the purpose of evaluating a ieau -xposure problem. According to Messrs. Conklin and Kunkle, Plant Safety and Industrial Hygiene engineer a, respectively, the fact that a potential hazard from ex cessive exposure to lead exists is several areas in the leach and roast plants has been confirmed by atmospheric sampling and analysis. Furthermore, ;ae employees" working in these plants have been followed for a period, of about eight years with urine analysis for lead every six weeks, and several appear, to have -been .-consistently excreting excessive amounts of lead in their urine. Ho diagnosis of lead poisoning has ever been made in the work force although the employees are examined periodically by Dr. Mitchell, who serves part time as plant physician. No blood lead determination-had been made, anti it was considered essential, in Dr. JSehoe's opinion. So determine if the work lore was actually absorbing excessive quantities of lead before suggesting specific changes in the existing industrial hygiene practices. It was noted that approved respirators were provided and apparently properly used and maintained where known potential hazard from, inhalation of lead existed. On the other hand, around the work sit in both leach and roaster plants there was excessive accumulation of dust, said to hay significant lead content Cup to 10%}, and it was common practice for workers to smoke, chew gum, and drink coffee in the work area. Although a clean, attractive and convenient plant cafeteria is available and used by many employees, some bring lunches to work and at at or near the job site. It was readily apparent to Dr. Kehoe and me that the opportunity for hazardous exposure to lead by ingestion was definitely present, and that the measures to prevent inhalation of lead duat ana fume by use of approved respiratory protection could be only partially successful. Similarly, the shower and change facilities appeared adequate and in excellent condition. These undoubtedly help limit continued exposure to le^d from contaminated skin and clothing off the job; they cannot, however, offset the possibility of lead ingestion on the job. A thorough occupational medical valuation of a sample of exposed workers thus appeared mandatory. g 00184; 9 INDUSTRIAL. HYGIENE FOUNDATION OF AMERICA. INC. Fwil. USahagac May 13* A965 Fa April 2$, 1945, the following SI. Joseph X,ead Company employees were examined by me at the Falk Clinic* Pittsburgh; koutiBe hematological and urinary laboratory testa* chest X-rays .iad the following specialised 'laboratory determinations were performed; Urinary coproporphyria Urinary lead analysis Bipod lead analysis - complete report of findings- will be made in the near future, afce purpose ,<i this letter'is to. confirm In. writing the interpretation of the medical findings vhich have been given over the phone in the past two weeks as laboratory .reports have been received. Inorganic lead poisoning in adult workers today, according to ii. X. Johnstone* is mainly characterised by sever abdominal colic. Neurological changes (encephalopathy, wrist and. ankle drop, and tremors) are not now usually associated with lead colic, and Johnstone dispels the older belief of sequelae of lead poisoning under present day usual conditions of exposure on the basis of. Sound epidemiological studies. in none of the above sis men who were examined and carefully ques tioned concerning abdominal colic was.its presence .elicited, nor was there evidence of wrist or ankle drop, or [gross tremor, la one was definite cyanosis of the gums adjacent to areas of extensive pyorrhea, but a well -defined lead line was not noted. The others had no clinical findings whatsoever suggestive of leading poisoning. The hematological study revealed that only Matthews and Cavender have stippled erythrocytes., although all were noted to have occasional polychromatic red blood cells* Again, aiadlHHHfe were the only ones whose hemoglobin was less thaeH!5g5aT, both having 13.8 gm, which represents anemia only relatively, in comparison with the other workers. Hematocrit levels, also indicative of degree of anemia-were lower in IHHIHftanu K* 0018420 i. INDUSTRIAL. HYGIENE FOUNDATION OF AMERICA. INC. Hr. Paul W. Cahagan Hay 18* 1965 Page 3 (both 43 as compared with 46-49 for th' others). Routine urinalyses ware not remarkable and appeared within normal limits, in every case. Chest X-rays were interpreted, by the radiologist without benefit of comparison with previous films. There were no finding* of significance and the reports''^ndfilms.'will1 be.applied.to. Dr." Mitchell. The urinary coproporphyria determinations showed that only bummers could be considered negative' or entirely normal, bad slight, elevation* flH|^^noder< uAfremely. high elevation. (This inforrohtion regarding supplied to Mr. G&hag&n by my office on May 3 by phone.} The result* of the blood and urine analyses for lead were not received cntil April 13. Those indicated lead is grossly elevated and well ijat the range which may bf associated with symptoms. Further exposure to excessive lead should be prevented and he should be kept under medical surveillance with, repeated determinations .of blood lead periodically in .ensuresatisfactory - control of exposure, and progressive recovery. The concentrations of lead in the blood of rare in the high normal range* but that of bummers is only moderately sova the mean concentration of the unexposed population. The concentration of load in hll of the urine samples are above the normal range* excepting Schreiner and Summers. There is thus no doubt of the exposure of these employees to excessive amounts of lead in somewhat varying degrees.' habits are better than the others. Based upon the above findings* it is essential that: excessive exposure to lead b controlled* as rapidly ad effectively as possible, both on and off th job. A* a matter of policy, eating, drinking and smoking on the job should be prohibited at least until development of improved housekeeping and engineering controls* where needed, and demonstration of a downward trend in load absorption. This policy must* of course* be enforced to ba effective. Periodic medical evaluation of these and other exposed workers will allow a check on tbs effectiveness of these procedures. Additional details of a follow up program incorporating recommendations by Dr. lie hoe will be supplied at a later date . ;. incertyiy yours, J U deTiarno cci Mr, Charles D. Henderson *> W tr. UiKH IV R. *fohoo / xp'&G/Ct I * Y' t` yviL fiobert T. P. deT re villa* M.D. Managing Director > . *- : '-T v.--- 4.-**- 00K f 184*'