Document x1V17YyZQbeKLkEE940RbbzN1

as does structuring the Federal Gov- eminent into departments and agen cies, each with a reasonably coherent mission. Certainly, it makes manageri al sense. Unfortunately, this arrange ment for federal R&D exhibits ... seri ous weaknesses." Further, Dr. Handler said, "It seems to me that the time has come for the Congress and the Executive either to accept the grnernl philosophy bv which we have operated --or reject it. Hut not snipe at it annually. If such acceptance is politically unacceptable--although 1 do not sec why--then let that be made clear so that, ue may proceed instead to erect NILAS, as oiuc proposed bv this Committee, or go further and transform NSF into a Department of Science and Technology which is deemed politically supportable." And so it went. The House commit tee is yet to hear from a host of wit nesses, including all former Presiden tial science advisers. After drafting a bill to set un a council, the committee \v;:l in <1 . : i r mnl of bra-bigs liit: Amu msl ri! lo.i siiciwc ollici.us, including Dr. Slevcr, ns the key wit nesses. At that time, Dr. Stever, who has been getting high praise for an ad mirable job from critics of the present a'r.''Ugor,H) u, will get a chance to say how well things have been going and whether he feels there ought to he a change, albeit within the constraints of being an Administration official. ICI ends its silence on vinyl chloride The argi-ncrit river the handlin'; of reMilts from animal toxicity studies that have helped tn establish an apparent link between exposure to vinyl chloride and a rare form of liver cancer in hu mans isn't aver yet. The studies tire bein/t conducted by /Vo/. Ccsarr Molfont, director of the Istituto Ih OncoIvgia. Bologna, Italy. In an earlier story (May 'JO. page Id) C&EN reported that the Manufactur ing Chemists Association seemingly held in confidence from January pl7.t until January 197-1 scientific findings by Prof. Maltnni on vinyl chloride as an agent causing liver cancer in rats. The store also raised the oucstion of what an MCA group, which included an Imperial Chemical Industries i>hysician, did, or did not, m eal about these rat studies during a Jid\ 1070 meeting with officials of the Sotum-d Institute of Occupational Sa/ete and Health (NIOSH). According to ,\h IS 11 director Marcus M. Key. the group made reference to neither /Vo/. Mnltu. ni by name nor to angiosarcoma of the liver in humans and animals tC&KS, June 10, page 3>. In May of this year, MCA released a "vinyl chloride iloo nalogv" that includes its version of the meeting (CXEN. June 10, page I J' ICt, which had remained mlent on V" ' ` the issue, mite ha- decided to come for ward with a lett -r to C&EN that it hopes will be a < astructive contribu tion tn help clan,, the situation. The letter, and NIOSII's response, follow. Dear Sir: Dr. Marcus Key. m a letter in your issue of dune 10. 1071, describes a meeting between NIOSH and MCA on duly 17. U)7d. He refers to an ICI doc tor who flew specially to Washington on this occasion to acquaint NIOSH fully with the results of a wide-ranging investigation on vinyl chloride mono mer, currently being carried out by a group of European companies. Since certain of the phrases in Dr. Key s let ter might he callable of misinterpreta tions, which 1 am sure he would not have intended, some comment from Europe may lie helpful in clarifying these. (1) Dr. Kev reporis that the ICI doc tor "critically reviewed the work of Prof. P. 1,. Viola." This was an entirely proper review of the scientific criticism wind', had been made previously of Dr. Viola's paper and provided n possible explanation for the general lack of in terest shown by the rest of the world m Dr. Viola s conclusion. The meeting p.ovided a forum for the European group to outline the animal experimen tal work which it alone had spon sored in 1971 and to present its find ings to date. The protocol for the new work had been designed to avoid any criticism similar to that directed at Dr. Viola. Dr. Key, of course, confirms this in his brief reference to "more reason able levels of vinyl chloride." though this was by no means the only im|xirtant difference between the new and old work, (2) Dr, Key then re|ioris the Europe an representative as saying that "sev eral tumors interpreted as confirmation of Dr. Viola s work hud been ob served. 1 For complete clarity, this sen tence needs a little expansion. Our doctor, in fact, reported that primary tumors at several sites had been pro duced and that this continued Dr Vio la's overall, and previously disregarded, conclusion that viovl chloride was car cinogenic to rats. He did not say. as some o| vour readers miglu miscon strue Dr Key's sentence, that vvr con firmed Dr. Violas rcMills in that vmvl chloride prodmod only Zvmli.il gland tumors uictnsl.it ic lo oilier sues Such u statement would have licen untrue. ft) Dr. Kev is correct in saving there was no discussion of angiosarcoma of the liver m r,n- at the mecling. Nor has anyone in Europe attempted to say that inform.limn was transferred in this >|M-i il'ic lorm. As ot lulv I'.lYn. the niaior new ilrvrlopmcni m European work, which contrasted with Dr. Viola's, was that vmvl , blonde had proved car cinogenic to rats at several sites and at levels down to and including -'nil p.p m. To those concerned with (lie work, this conclusion had lar greater | |ft v ny impact than the observation that one of the types was angiosarcoma of the liver, a form very rare in humans and unknown at that tune in vmvl chloride workers. In his initial presentation, therefore, the European delegate pre sented the animal resuits m the gener alized form that would make m.iximum impact, within a wide ranging survey of past and future nitiv u icx. The major facts were made Gear NIOSH was told that vmvl Odontic caused nmltisited primary tumors in rats at concentrations down io g.'ii) p.p.m. It also was told of a wide range of further actions already under wav. in Europe and the U.S., as a result of tins finding. The European doctor was fully prepared to provide any further detailed information, witlun this main statement, that NIOSH might ask tor. That NIOSH asked for little more liefore the meeting ended imlu tiled lo MCA and the European group that both information and proposed actions were thought adequate and proper At that time and in the absence of a known human hazard, that was a rea sonable conclusion for NIOsH to come to. When unexpected results first emerge in a long term animal toxico logical program, the normal and proper course of action is tat to scrutinize fur ther results to ensure that the first in* dual ions are significant, lb) lo si art new experiments aimed at a more pre cise definition ol the effect, id to Mart work with oilier animal-, species, and id) to look urgently for any similar elfeds in human populations. All <>f these add to the time span of the study unless and until uli produces positive results or even suspicions. In the case of vinyl chloride, ail these actions had been started by mid-l!l7.i m a coordi nated program between European and U.K. industry. Indeed, witlun ICI, an epidemiological study had been com pleted to the end of 1971 and updated to the end of 1972. This simlv disclosed no increase in deaths .iitrihutahh- io earner among vmvl chloride workers when compared with a control group ot chemical workers never e\pn-.|i| to vinyl chloride. The hcsi view ........ all the information at ihai lime was ih.it there was no indication of a hazard lo man. The furl her work was hemg ih au to make quite sure that this menl was eorrei i. Finally, nun I lea a lew tail* ai>. 11 I tie role of the polvvtnv! < blonde in diistrv in the wh"le problem .a vmvl chloride and ioallh. Ihlnte I'mt. no health problem wall viovl ihlnruh- bad been recognized In ihai vear. S"K.iv first observed .u rn osieolvsis i\(l|.i. Their finding ni a link between Adi. and vinyl chloride was published m Itiiili and was also communicated di rectly to U.Si manulaei urers, ami a great deal was done qua klv to get tills under control, hi 1907 Dr, Viola iwho is a senior member nl Solvav s uu du al group) began animal cv/iemneiii, in Cmitmiii d on pagi o 7 ___CMA OII433 forma Stale UmverMty, Frcsnn . . . Arnold .1. Krubsnck promoted to associate professor, i department of chemistry, University of Southern Mississippi. Hattiesburg ... Dnn- ild K. Kummitsu promoted to professor, department of chemistry, California State University. Fresno. Ronald Neuman joins University of Min 'ram* being nesota. St. Paul, department of forest prod ucts. ns assistant professor ., . .lames W. Pinson promoted to professor, department 11 Inwo to typi- of chemistry, University of Southern Missis sippi, Hattiesburg .. , Henry Kukoff joins chemistry faculty of the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, ns asso im or I ciate professor , , Stephen A. Kodemeycr i-side I promoted to professor, department of chem istry, California State University, Fresno . . . Carl H. Snyder promoted to professor of chemistry, University of Miami. Coral Ga from vated bles, K C. Tavlur appointed chairman, de partment of chemistry, Princeton Universi vated udies. 12 X ty. N.J. ... Sidney Toby hecomes director, school of chemistry, Rutgers University, New Hrunswick, N.J. .,. William H. Wade appointed chairman, department of chemis loride 1 had lomer try, Universitv "f Texas, Austin . . . Glenn S, IVeil.ind, professor of t hcinistry. Gettysburg College. Pa., retires alter 25 years on the faculty . . . Scott R. Wilson appointed assis ng re- tant instructor of chemistry, Gettysburg College, Pn. Booksn and ormed of the i I by aM New quarterly in, the , Switn and s and i(?gula' 'logical a new to be o Labowill de* ih" pro making A new journal. Hesource AVerterry and Conservation, to be published quarterly with the first issue scheduled for mid1974, will be dedicated to detailed and comprehensive investigations of the interdisciplinary aspects of resource re covery and conservation. Kditors of the journal are Dr. James G. Abert and Dr. Harvey Alter of the National Center for Resource Recovery. Washington. D.C. The yearly subscription price (one vol ume, four issues) is $34.50 from Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., P.O. Box 211, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. etneity. the sev- ,iFunctional Monomers: Their Prepara tion, Polymerization, and Application. Vol. 1. Ronald H. Yocum. Edwin B- Nvquist. editors, xii + 715 pages. Marcel Dcki;S Up tO. ker, Inc.. 305 East 45th St.. New York. N.Y. n devel- tOO 17. 1973. $43.50. A practical reference <>. under work. 'ting the tion-cur-t New Developments in Gae Chromatogra ed eithj phy. Howard Purnell, editor, viii + 408 pages, .lohn Wiley At Sons, Inc., 605 Third or it cal Ave.. New York, N.Y. 10016.1973. $9.95. i to ford nance J Orgunicum: Practical Handbook of Or ganic Chemistry. Heinz Keeker, et of zx + ises 717 pages. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., iys. . <, * Inc., Reading, Mass. 01867.1974. $23.50. be bi 'psivei y indt with P Polymers; Chemistry and Physics of Mod ern Materials, J. M, G. Cowie. xii + 298 pages. Intext Educational Publishers, 257 Park Ave. South, New York, N.Y. 10010. 1974. $11.75. 2.VW ,en;ti* Principles of Quantum Mechanics. W. V. Houston, G. C. Phillips, xi + 376 pages, American ELcvicr Publishing Co., Inc.. 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1974. $39.50. Continued from pave 2! get a better understanding of AOL. He reported preliminnrv findings in Tokyo in 1969 and his eaibexi observations of a carcinogenic effet t were delivered to the 10th international Cancer Congress in Houston in 1970. It must be as sumed that his paper reached a large and influential audience. Nevertheless, the only action came first from Euro pean industry, through the Mnltoni an imal studies, in 1971, and then from U.S. industry with its Hiotest [Labora tories! program in mid-1973. ICI ini tiated epidemiological studies in 1971. The results of these were given to MCA in late 1972 with the recommendation that similar work should be done by MCA, It was this latter work that fi nally led to the discovery of a human cancer hazard. The point is obvious. For the past 10 years the industry on both sides of the Atlantic has been active in its work to protect health, and, in Europe, animal studies have been in continuous prog ress for the past six nnd a half years. The latest and must serious hazard of angiosarcoma of the liver has only been discovered through the coordinated and unprompted effort of European and U.S. industry. This is the record of an industry that has taken action and published, and not. as you have "hinted" in other col umns, of an industry'that "withholds information." A. W. {tamed Director. Imperial Chemical Industries plastics division Here, is NIOSH"s response: Dear Sir: It is still difficult for me to understand how a description of the preliminary findings of a rat study conducted by an unnamed Italian investigator can be retrospectively interpreted as providing to NIOKH full information on the sig nificance of Prof. Maltoni's findings in July 1973. We still disagree on the details relat ed to us. Our notes do not confirm a description of tumors other than Zymbal gland tumors or their metastases, nor do they confirm specific mention of 250 p.p.m. of vinyl chloride as being tumoragenic. It is reassuring, however, that the ICI letter corroborates our notes that there was no discussion of angiosarcoma of the liver at the July 1973 meeting. In spite of the differences, f respect the ICI medical officer who attended the meeting and appreciate very much his coming to this country nnd briefing us. Incidentally, I did not mean to use the word "critically" in the pejorative sense, hut rather in the sense of exer cising careful judgment or judicious evaluation. Marcus M. Key, M. D. Assistant Surgeon General, Director, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health DIRECTORY SECTION I THh* w'CUort include* CHEMICALS 1\X* i CMANGK--Chemical*, Gum, Oils, j Wane*, I'lgrnunln, su KtjL U'MKN l' MAKT--New anti Us***! Equiptncni, In* atrumenWi; KaCtliUf* for 1'Uru nt.l !,,tl>* f oratory; TECHNICAL bbKVICKiy--C'gm* j KulUnU' Engwuvfin#, Telling, I'rofv*- turn,*) N**rv icrv 1 TECHNICAL SERVICES CHILDERS LABORATORIES INC. 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Otvdfon o> CnrhlJc Corporation PO One Carlisle Pa 17013 emu priced et ter leu ike* rtprsdml'on reilf tda) 11 *(', 4ei*t fen i V>(, kadrtyLtI fhd l.qmjf. HHjti mr,vm , * **>.. si.jj G-- IW--t**e2a` K*t kt*n.liii 1* 1 y r ry tilling G--l W % 2t,tM*<k$ m* ln'f 0~2 ti * x l*M Magin nr I > ie Steiftlr** }}* /J- 52VS0 JlO.ib Mtftv 4igpa m lot k ti|i hi UR Ml |)* "Mr Sen i Puffhtsr Order, Tyrmv 2** M riJk*. i t*s A. C. TANK CO., Dryt. Z(74, P O. B*x A BURLINGTON, W1S. 51105 Phone 4t47>J3j! oU434 CMA - July 8 Ihi' i CXI f- 37