Document wD1LzGgj4xvYa3akbknxJrYoB

Ths Saranac Laboratory Study af '`-ct'-cuoni. Occuoetionel md l^du^trui Hr? rt Fi\jnzis by C3'i `.RJD L;v'n:$t::n Ts.V-Eal* m ,'3S? 7 Chuch St., S*t*N*c UU, Ntw Vor I I EXHIBIT K-290 3 0 Bax 56! ct February 6, 1956 T #i#phon*; Laoori:a*r a`: O^tcta^ :<$0 at/ Burcn director o: Personnel and Industrial Relations Cvens-Corning Fibernias Corporation F.C., Box 9C1 Toledo, Ohio Tear >ir. Burch: Cn the occasion of their recent visit here to inspect our progress with tr.e study on the pathogenicity of fiberglas, Dr. Bishop and xr. alack mentioned to me that this research project fails under your general supervision. To facilitate your task of explaining to lay personnel, who sight be interested in the results of our experiments, j like fiberglas may be capable of doing to p^nf herewith a few prelimin ary comments." Please do not hesitate to call for further elucidation as need arises. 1 will do my best to inform you fully about what we already know and will not hesitate to tell you directly where the limits of our own and also other researches* limitations lie. You may have dif ficulty with published statements too. Please feel free to consult me at any time about such matters if you believe I can be of help to you. Firstly, the following is the status of our current experimentation on fiberglas: Product Studied Method Type and Number of Animals Used Stage Reached 1 Fiberglas with Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 Completed at Calcium Sulphate filler 12 months Chemical and Kistc logical otucies ir Progress 2u ^ ii ii it ii ii ** ft it M Rats 10 It it n it t 11 it *1 n Rabbits 5 It it it it ft n ii n 4 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler ^n nn it n u 11 n nn n n * Guinea pigs 10 rt ti n it Rats 11 it it it H Rabbits 7 it if n It tt n n t 11 it it *i It n `i if (continued on page 2) 01 501 1573 The objective* of The Stronsc Laboratory, * ntm-pTe^t orfomution incorporated under the Education Lam of Nfur Tor^ Stiff, jt? Research, ConttUtatton, and Education Page 2 1:jr. .'.. , Suren ionvwers-Ccrning Fiberglas Ccrporat February rroc-;; --*iiec Method Type and dumber of Animals Used Stage Reached !77 Resin on 8 n 11 9 i n 1110 tt 11 Glass fibers only Intratracheal Guinea pigs 9 !t Rats 11 >1 Rabbits 5 Intravenous Rabbits 5 Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 Completed at 12 months 11 11 11 <1 11 <1 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 Chemical and r.L logical Stunies Progress U It II ') -I II t { It l I 1 it ii it i r 12 it it tt 1113 it it 14 :1 It it n ti Subcutaneous Rats Rabbits Rats 1110 n n ii tt it -r :t -3 5 11 n n 11 w ii i >i 115 n # it n n n ft n 15 Fiberglas with Calcium Sulphate filler Inhalation 16 n it n h 11 11 It 17 it 11 it it it 11 It Guinea pigs 60 Rats 16 Rabbits 9 Hod ifled and it ft ti n ii Terminated at 15 months Terminated and it n it tf u Modified at 15 months Terminated at rr it n n 9 months i 13 Fiberglae with Calcium Sul- " poate . Beryllium Phosphor Rats 10 In progrese tt n n it ii 19 Fiberglae -with Calcium Sul- " phate * Ri Tuberculosis 20 Reactivation of Tuberculosis " by Fiberglas 21 Control Tuberculosis only Guinea pigs 26 Terminated at it n H it it 9 months Guinea pigs 27 n 11 it H ii ii ir ii 11it n 13 n tt n n it it r n 22 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler Inhalation 11 It 60 In progress tt It II 11 *t 15 months 28 animals autopsisd (continued on page 3) 01 501 1574 ?15* 3_ hr, R.-. curcr. Cvena-Ccming Fiberglas Corporation February j , * -: c Procuco -v-ciad Method Tyre and .``umber of Animals Used Stage Reached 23 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonace tiller Inhalation ri il il ii u if If 25 Fiberglas (excessive con centrations} 26 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler Beryl* Liua Phosphor M 11 Rats 21 In progress 15 months 16 animals autopsied .Rabbits 9 In progress 15 months 1 animals autcpsied Guinea pigs 7 In progress 15 months Rats 6 In progress 15 months Chemical, ar.c .-.a logical Sv-rle; Progress rt If :> II `I j 11 rf . 27 Fiberglas + Rl Tubercle 23 Reactivation of Tubercu losis by Fiberglas 29 Rl Tubercle Control n n rt Guinea pigs 24 17 autopeied rt rt rt :| 11 If 26 18 rt rt rt i rt rt 34 16 " if il *i i 30 Flakeglas Ocular Rabbits Instillation 2 Completed 31 H 32 11 33 IT 31 It 35 n Cutaneous contact in friction Rabbits 2 It Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 In progress Rabbits 5 11 If n Rats 8 rt rt Intravenous Rabbits 5 il il I believe the foregoing list will show you what a comprehensive range of tests we are making to ascertain in what way and to what degree fiber* glas or any of its components is harmful, if indeed it causes any damage to animal tissues. Sven so, we believe several addlt-<*rnT w^tilrf ut i--As there has been appreciable discrepancy between the results obtained on guinea pigs, rats and rabbits it is rrM* **`*"Hai that we study tne efiAdlA ol tM b^Aduct on monkeys i> vsll ao that we may tOlBU father the human species will react adversely or favorably to tntuLaLiflB the auwfc.t " 01 501 1575 Xr. Siren .'ver.s-- :ming Fiberglas Corporation February Lr~c 1- .? i-perative also that we determine how rapidly and completely fioe.-zlas dust is eliminated from animal tissues and whether, if it is expelled liter lust exposure nas stopped, this is accompanied by reversal of ttose tissue reactions we have already observed, No doubt ycu will readily perceive the mecico-lezal importance of such information. *'e should also prolong the exposures for at least another year. Of OUT wr>rt1r aihaatn* and fin iw frft** ;m- favorable results sometimes ensued during tne tnird year of exposure while tnSy remained in abeyance previously*.-. .-i fourth avenue yet to oe e xplored more satisfactorily would be a study on the capacity of the fiberglas to induce lung, cancer. There is so much propaganda over the issue' of lung cancer today that one cannot omit ttis study, either to clear the product of all potential blame or to dis cover in time whether it holds such a danger. I suppose you already know that asbestos is fairly well incriminated as a carcinogen and the asbestos causes lung damage by virtue of the lengeb of its fibers,, a property It shares with the flbe^gVarious polyester resins have already been irtgrliBinalled ak carcinogens so that one must remain cautioua..about. the fiberglas resin until it has been-cleared. Finally, in view of the evidence we already have that the fiberglas dust facilitates the development of tuberculosis, this study should be e*6anded-to~Include the third superimposition phase of the tubercle study, i.e., to determine whether prior exposure to the.dust will stimulate tuber culosis. Reference to the foregoing tabulation reveals that we have already instituted the investigation on the simultaneous phase and the reactivation phase. Such a large proportion of our rabbits died in the dust room that we believe the studies on them should -be. repeated. Deaths may have been due to an intercurrent epizootic and r.ot due to the fiberglas dust. If a new set of animals could be studied, the suspicion that the dust may have caused the deaths of the rabbits would either be verified or rebutted. None of the guinea pigs died spontaneously and we are inclined to believe the rabbits died of causes other than the dust, but unless we can repeat this phase of the study, the record will remain unfavorable. I look forward to meeting you at some time in the not too distant future and hope the foregoing information will be of some value to you meanwhile. Fours sincerely, G'WHSimsm l.W.H. Schepert, M.D., D.Sc. Tirector Oi 501 15"