Document vVMomaKzZBe9L7LOn2mxK8N8b

\.v MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE of The Gty University of New York FIFTH AVENUE AND 1*0TH STEEET* N(V TOEK, N.T. 1*01* Drptrtmtmi / GmmunllyMarine July 23, 1970 Dr. Kerle Bundy Medlchl Director, Industrial Medicine United States Steel Corporation S25 mi lam Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230 Dear Merle: I've been curious about the increased lung cancer mortality among your coke oven workmen, as demonstrated by Lloyd. Hie question of benzpyrene has, in our opinion, been Inadequately established, especially in view of our failure to find, at least so far, an increased lung cancer rate among our roofing workers exposed to rather high concentrations of benzpyrene in the air about their work. I have a possible alternate explanation which could be looked at. In general, coking ovens are associated with a good deal of insulation. Insulation * asbestos. Very often, too, the men on the Job either do their own repairs or are in the vicinity of repair work if done by other trades. Sometimes the clean-up is less than meticulous with much asbestos allowed to remain as waste. A hypothesis equally tenable, then, nightie that the Increased lung cancer is due to asbestos inhalation^* Of course, all of this depends upon the actual insulation conditions, of which I know very little. What are the facts? With warm regards. Sincerely yours, Irving J4 Selikoff, M.D. Professor nud cmA/Xu VWW '"~tw WU*M 'to V A . i Iaa . . a A V 0 -*