Document x1KQDRY1g86zN5qveVqBD9gm6

FILE NAME Allied Signal Bendix ASB DATE 1978 July 7 DOC ASB118 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Proceedings of the International Conference and Workshop on Health Hazards of Asbestos Exposure  Internal Memorandum Date To July 26 1978 Distribution Letter No. Research Laboratories Southfield Michigan From S. K. Rhee Subject P. Tsang's Report on International Conference on Health Hazards of Asbestos Attached please find a copy of the subject report After reading the report I feel that we have made a right decision to develop asbestos friction materials and that we should phase out asbestos in our friction materials within a reasonably short period of time 5. K. Rhee SKR Distribution Bendix Center D. Bitondo G. T. Burton :: G. Jacko L. Larsen - EO D. Michel R. M. Rusnak G. Siegel - EO A. B. Van Rennes FMD -b W. Aldrich C. Brunhofer R. Gandy J. Kwolek Jurid C. Glanz G. Schroif W. Thiel PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 371-1 PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 371 Date July 7 1978 tos K. Rhee From P. H. S. Isang Letter No. 392 . Southfield Michigan Subject International Conference and Workshop on Health Hazards of Asbestos Exposure Oe Background and Summary This international conference and workshop was held from June 23 to 27 in New York City and was sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences It consisted of three whole sessions for formal presentations and a day workshop Participants came from various parts of the globe such as Sweden the U.K. Netherlands France Italy Finland Switzerland Turkey Canada and the U.S. etc. South Africa Germany A total of 33 formal papers on the harmful effects of asbestos exposure were presented by medical and physical scientists from all over the world Numerous small discussion sessions on issues of acceptable exposure standards methodology of asbestos concentration measurement the role of government agencies and manufacturers in regulatory actions asbestos workers protection and compensation etc. also took place during the conference and workshop Different viewpoints were well represented by the government agencies both domestic and foreign workers trade unions both U.S. and international and the asbestos manufacturers and users e.g. Manville Raybestos Cape Industries of London etc. It is clearly evident that asbestos exposure is harmful not only to the asbestos workers themselves but its effects also extend to their family members and to the residents neighboring the asbestos plants or mines At the present acceptable exposure limit is not known since there is evidence that even one exposure to asbestos in a concentration of 300 fibers can result in asbestos disease some 20-35 years later Based on the available data the government is likely to put 0.5 cc airborne asbestos limit into effect in the near future and perhaps will push for a near zero limit achievable by the available technology Medical and physical scientweiresut rgs ed to establish 1 the response relationship of asbestos exposure 2 an internationally acceptable technique for fiber identification and quantification 3 the relationship of aspect ratio of asbestos and asbestos fibers e.g. glass fibers iron fibers steel wools zeolite etc. to asbestos diseases The asbestos industwerreiue rgs ed to take positive actions to protect workers and their family members by minimizing the asbestos exposure with reduction of airborne asbestos concentration and by providing proper training of safe handling of asbestos and asbestos products PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372-1 PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372 HWBUI0011636 HWBUI0011636 Memorandum Date July 7 1978 , Page 2 Letter No. 392 zw Bendix is a leading manufacturer of both asbestos and asbestos friction materials in the world It is imperative that 1 we are fully aware of the severity of asbestos effect 2 we maintain and update our current practices for compliance with the governmental regulations on plant working environment safe handling of asbestos by workers and on the monitoring of workers health 3 we should accelerate our development efforts for asbestos friction materials and 4 we should also urge the suppliers of our substitute fibers to provide acceptable documents of the product safety with respect to asbestos The last point should not be taken lightly since some zeolite fibers and some very small glass fibers of 0.1-0.4in diameter and 20-50 in length have been reported to be potential carcinogens although the Fiberglas for our asbestos friction materials are reportedly too large to be respirable and does not yet pose any threat The following are some highlights of the conference and workshop Session I Asbestos Disease in Employed Groups Miners Millers Insulators Maintenance Workers in Chemical Industries 1. Asbestos definitely is a carcinogen is responsible for alarmingly large number of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. Canada U.K. France Finland Italy Africa and Holland Example In one Quebec mine case out of 11,000 asbestos infected workers between 1966-1975 24 1966 to 44 1975 died of lung cancer In still another case 253 out of 632 deaths of insulation workers 1943-1977 were caused by asbestos exposure 2 All three major forms of asbestos in use namely chrysotile amosite and crocidolite are carcinogenic crocidolite mostly used in insulation is perhaps the most damaging 3. Asbestos can cause Asbestosis Ce Pleural thickening Peretoneal fibrosis lung Mesothelioma cancer in membrane of esophagus lung stomach etc. 4 Latency period for asbestos disease is about 20-40 years 5. Cigarette smoking definitely increases the cancer risk and shortens greatly the latency period Cigarette smokers exposed to asbestos generally have 2-8 times greater risk factor than smoking asbestos infected victims PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372-2 HWBUI0011637 HWBUI0011637 Memorandum Date July 7 1978 Page 3 Letter No. 392 6 Any exposure to asbestos is considered dangerous Convincing evidence showed that exposure to asbestos at an estimated level of 300 cc for only one disease some 20-35 years later shown that 1 month exposure to day can result in asbestos In another study it was asbestos in a level of 5-20 cc resulted was estimated in asbestos disease some 20 years later It that a continuous exposure to 5-20 cc for 2 years or greater can result in a loss of life expectancy of 10-15 years 7 In general cancer and respiratory disease mortality is in direct proportion to the concentration and duration of asbestos exposure as well as to the extent of cigarette smoking The latency or incubation period is in inverse proportion of the above factors The Response relationship is not clear however A study to determine the threshold of accumulated fiber for potential cancer induction is underway 8. On the methods of surveillance on asbestos workers Membrane filter collection method is now internationally accepted the actual size of filter membrane pore dimension sampling period peak concentration determination collection site etc. still need universal standardization Its results do not always correlate method used prior to 1977 however possible between the two methods with the midget impinger A factor of 2-5 was Personal monitoring methodology for individual worker is necessary but not yet in practice Counting technique needs to be modernized transmission electron microscope should be of light microscope perhaps used instead response relationship needs to be established Methods to improve the life expectancy of asbestos workers need to be established - an immediate goal requiring the joint efforts of medicinal and physical scientists asbestos manufacturers asbestos industries asbestos workers and the Government PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372-3 HWBUI0011638 Memorandum Date ^ July 7 1978 Page 4 Letter No. ke 9 On the acceptable standard for industrial use of asbestos e From the medical standpoint there is really no acceptable standard known the ultimate is to ban the mining and use of asbestos for possible reduction of asbestos concentration to zero in our environment @ From the practical and economic standpoint the asbestos exposure should be held to the minimum perhaps 0.1 cc or to a level achievable by the state The 0.5 cc limit will most likely be put into effect in the very near future e The industries should take on the responsibilities of 1 assuring the best environment achievable by the best available technology 2 providing workers with proper training for safe handling asbestos products and 3 warranting the safety for the exposure and usage of their asbestos products e.g. brake linings and building insulations in use or in replacement operation Session II The Vexing Shipyard Problems Environmental Asbestos Disease 10 11 13 Shipyard workers over the world Great Britain Italy France Netherlands dated as far back as World War II were studied and the harmful effect of asbestos most amosite and crocidolite was also convincingly confirmed The workers include asbestos insulators electricians carpenters painters tool makers maintenar crews etc. In a nation Tu < 5 in length v 0.1 may account for Turkey's st udy it was found that zeolite fibers lu in diameter chabzite and erionite recent mesothelioma epidemic In a study pleural disease was found evident among the family members of workers exposed to asbestos 15-35 of the sample population suffered from asbestos disease versus % from the control group without any exposure In a French study on Paris air it was found that the air within some buildings especially those fitted with asbestos insulations and asbestos sprayed panels was heavily contaminated with asbestos fibers Majority of the buildings met the French standard of < 50 ng with 7 m but in some buildings air reached a peak height of 1000-3000 ng especially those sprayed finding with also asbestos and also near asbestos justifies the U.S. concerns for plants some old This buildings buildings especially schools with asbestos insulations ' PLAINTIFSPLAINTIFFS PLAINTIFFSEXHIBIT 372-4 HWBU10011639 Memorandum Date July 7 1978 Page 5 Letter No. ~~ 14 15 The air in the neighborhood of an asbestos plant or a mine was found to be somewhat contaminated by dusts or asbestos fibers although no hard evidence is yet available for higher cancer rate among those residents probably due to the long latency period - only time will tell There are probably 1.5-2 million mechanics in the U.S. exposed to asbestos emissions from brake relining No evidence of higher cancer rate caused by asbestos has been found among them to date Session III Protection and Care of Workers Risk Groups Future Problems Surveillance of High 16 The mining and manufacturing industries are urged to work closely with their employees and with the Government agencies to minimize the hazard and risk of their workers see highlight # and consumers of their products 17 The medical and physical scientists are urged to establish 1 the response relationship of asbestos exposure and body accumulation 2 to establish a universally acceptable technique for fiber identification and quantification 3 to study the effect of other types of fibers on ! health and 4 to provide means for extending the 1 pectancy of the injured asbestos workers 18 Ideally there should be a zero cc airborne asbestos concentration standard However this may not yet be technically feasible and definitely will be economically disastrous throughout the world should asbestos be banned Thus a nearzero standard achievable by the best available technology might be the best compromise Work Shop 19. The present definition of asbestos is not technically conclusive nor exclusive and needs official revision 20 The present standard asbestos fibers with an aspect ratio ' 3 with a length 5 yp should be kept less than 2 cc is not technically correct nor medically safe The 5 criterion was adopted on the basis of the limitation of the light microscope Under a transmission electron microscope the air sample which met the current 2 cc standard was found to have high concentration of fibers as high as 5-20 cc with smaller diameters and shorter lengths Furthermore the fibers present in the tissue of patients died of asbestos disease were found to have a mean diameter of 0.095-0.58u and a mean length of 0.5-6u up to 40 in length In addition to asbestos other inorganic fibers and particles such as talc zeolite rutile iron oxide mullite Si02 etc. were also found Thus a new counting technique and a new standard for PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372-5 HWBUI0011640 Memorandum . Date July 7 1978 Page 6 Letter No. es. 20 21 Continued - fiber aspect ratios length and number are needed effect of inorganic fibers or particles other than should also be investigated The asbestos In a screening study with hamsters by pleural injection a silanized fiber glass with a diameter of 0.1-0.4 and a length of 10-50 were found to be carcinogenic Fortunately the Fiberglas we use in the Bendix friction materials development program are much too large to be respirable no concrete proof of their biological inertness has been reported however Recommendation 1 Review our current plant conditions at ACSG HVSG Jurid and DBA assess the impact of 0.5 cc requirement which may become effective in the near future 2 Launch a program to educate our personnel about the DANGER of asbestos and to train them for safely handling asbestos Minimize the potential danger of infecting asbestos worker's family via careless family contact 3 Increase the medical check frequency of those with over 10 years exposure to asbestos The current medical monitoring program possibly needs evaluation for its effectiveness in identifying asbestos disease at an early stage 4 Bendix asbestos friction materials development efforts need to be accelerated 5. Urge suppliers of our alternative fibers to conduct valid study and provide acceptable documentation to warrant their product safety with respect to asbestos 6 Bendix attorneys responsible for product liability should be fully aware of the danger of asbestos and be prepared for possible suits against Bendix by consumers of asbestosbased friction materials and probably unlikely by our own workers who may develop asbestos disease in the future P. 1 L- PHST PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT 372-6 HWBUI0011641 HWBUI0011641