Document reJVrqX2Kn9bE6omGNGxDg10G

M_P{ e- 's't px 2/fV J : 698 TOWNSEND IT Al* Ta ils 1 rophenol or pentachlorophenol processes. SsUction and ttudy participation frequencies Surface contamination data consisted of < among families with husbands never t ippm d or potentially etpootd to dioxins during production operations at the Dots Chemical Company Michigan Division Sits, M idland,M ichigan, 1939-1975 wipe tests analyzed by rabbit ear bioassay prior to 1964 and by gas chromatography and rnnm spectroscopy since 1964. It was presumed that most exposures would have Butaa M il employe identified u being unexpoeed or potentially txpoetd XxpOMd (Tintinnii am p fnep been by akin contact. - / A Each job was assigned an exposure po tential on a scale of low to high for TCDD, j for all other dioxins, or for mixed expo t i sures. Jobs involving drying, grinding to dloxina 930 930 and packaging of pentachlorophenol and Employe deceased 125 119* its salt were considered to have had expo ' Employ widower or tingle -Fam ily rw iding outside area No address available (presumed living) Wife eligible for interview No response Refused 97 95 27 536 18 198 84 12S 42 559 19 194 sure to dioxins other than TCDD. Jobs 7 categorized as low TCDD cluded 2,4,5-trichlorophenol exposure packers in and 4 i( most 2,4,5-trichlorophenol production operators. The category of moderate TCDD exposures was assigned to mechan ics and janitors and to certain opera Interviewed 370 345* tors in 2,4,5-trichlorophenol production '* It w u discovered daring the interviewa that one woman was widowed. and two others thought to hav* inxapoaad husbands war* misdassified. Interviews from ti>e two latter ware not used, so only 345 of the control interviews wars analysed. and to still operators in the 2,4,5-trichlo- rophenol distillation TCDD exposure was aarsesai.gnHeidghtopoatlel'njotibael.3fj involved in the 2,4,5-trichlorophenol pro % cess area in late 1963 through 1964, which" was when the cases of chloracne occurred V centrated mainly within a caustic insolu (25, 26). ble oil layer. The sodium trichlorophenate then was acidified and the resulting Collection and analytic o fdata 2,4,5-trichlorophenol distilled. In late After cooperation of, the local labor 1963; change r a s made in this process union Had been obtained, a lettex^explain- and^sh&rtly th e re after a num ber of ing the purpose of the study and request- employees contracted chloracne. Opera ing a personal interview was mailed to tions were then modified to minimize ex the residence of each living exposed and V posures. In 1966, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol control population member residing in > production, was transferred to a new Midland or adjacent counties. Appoint- ,i building where new equipment and con menta were made with those women will- trols, including autom ated oil layer ing to be interviewed. If an employee was * dumping, greatly reduced the potential a widower or single, or if the response in- * for exposures. dicated the wife did not wish to be inter-.' Estimation of exposures was made by viewed, no further action was taken, f an industrial hygienist who was familiar However, if there was no response after with the processes described above. Based several days, a phone call was made to on his experience, information provided re-explain the intent of the study and to by production personnel and surface con encourage participation. Arrangements tamination data, the industrial hygienist were made with those who agreed to be : estimated exposure potential of jobs interviewed. No deliberate attempt was . within each building in the 2,4,5-trichlo- made to determine why women did not J