Document ypy608ReyZqq99Bkz0Rjjv11D

sSafeT mix of gas still at issue IB THE DEBATE over whst constitute* a > breathable level o{ viari chioridt a > new one ia the American scientific suniiy. tit lS3Gs some researcher* found li fc* > fe anesthetic. Sal over the next . yesrs ictenim* found the gas severely feet* tie hrart and rejected it* nodical c. By 1M9 Russian KieBlist* reported ji is of 4$ vinyl chloride workers were er*. with the exception of laboratory worker*, last year worked in level* of the fas below 10 ppm- Laboratory employe* worked in am*re concentrations of ap to 30 ppm. company spokesmen say, But Torkelson's peer* in I'ae scientific community foetid his 1961 tesearrh report ttiapect and commissioned research of their own. That study done at Vale University, asd published in 1963, rejected the findinf* of the Dow researchers. Tne Yale both the Dow asd Y'ate studies and basic. -I ally accepted the fiediexs of the iaittr. They retostreended that the maximum < concentration for human exposure to : vinyl rhloride be 500 ppm. ij: More thin a decade later. UiUia atod- 'f. Its showed Torkelaon and his aasoctatea ! to be much closer to lb* With than the i Y'ale scientist*. Those Italian atudiea y showed cancerous tumors in rat* exposed L to vinyl chloride at .level* as low ay 230 i ppm. Laicr studies, announced to April of t and to have suffered liver ditnsir. study concluded that, on the basis of thi* year, showed liver cancer in mice ; Bol the debate on the danger that in- their work, the Dow- scientists were being who were exposed to levels down to 59 i /rial worker* were !acini in the unduly cautious. They found that rat* ex ppnt. it: oited State* tons on no real heat until posed to 500 ears* pvr million suffered no In January of ibi* year fire B. F. Cood- r 41 when Hr. T. R. Tortelson and other significant liamajc and recommended rich plant on Bell* Lane announced that vx Chemical scientists reported that such exposure let cl as safe for humans. three of it* employes had died of woo. ; elr research showed liver chance* ia iisala exposed to visyl chloride concetta'.iona at low as 109 part* per million .nt air. They recommended a working ex- The Do* conclusion* were based on attiaal research which lusted six months. The y*)e conclusions were based oo stud ies which lasted shorter periods of time. They exposed rets t various concentra sarcoma of the liver, a rare cancer. Since ; then it has been discovered tbit 26 work er* at plant* around the world have died because of their exposure to vinyl chlo., ride. A.. jure level of 59 parts per million for tions nf vmyl enloride for periods rang .mans. Do* ipoieitnen say they begin ing from 19 days to t.hrer months- The Dote experience nitofinj: that standard immediately and The Amertran Conference of Govern- aim that all their vinyl chloride work scnial Indus'.nil Hygienists looked at But Torlcelson Is not critical of hia set t entiffe peer* because ihry didn't accept ' his recommendation* in 1951. > r '/.V K'\rw" ji "Dow h* generally taken a fairly con. *ervaliv* position on matters ed health, v Quite frankly at 100 (ppm vinyl chloride) i we saw only a very minor change ia tht 1. liver" he said. "We might have been Justified in inter. preling (the reaearch data) differently, > but we ehose to interpret it the noil ' eonsereathe way we could. The other companies rerlalnly had f more than onr choice ahead of them be- : cause there definitely conflicting am. ; mal data and there was the body of hu- man experience tb*l this work had ln : going on for yean with., no nounahie i , change in people" So fir no Dow worker* who's* died of. ' angiosarcoma have been found. Whether or not it's because the coat. ; P*n.v went to an exposure rat* of 50 ppm |! In the esrly '60s when* all the other l'.S. i; compiBie* found SOD ppm limit accent-:: able or because Dow is * small operator : . Is not known. :i Most authorities, familiar with the situ-; : alion. reckon that it is heeaure the Dow . Polymeroation vessel* for production of polyvinyl chloride operation is to small that not many eta- i ployea are exposed to vinyl rhloride. <' --------- ,_L BFG33908 Copies to: A. Vittone R. D. Scott J. L. Nelson. E. W. Harrington H. Waltemate B. M. G. Zwicker G. Pow W. J. Wilcox P. J. Weaver R. B. Downey E. B. Osborne K. Greene ___ -dw Tprqwmmy,/A^fcadki 24708001 * ; >. ctiionae a suspected in \B *!t; KAUFM AX, SUIT Tatar . - ^iA'CBCfWISO numbn of American ad- -entail hfliev* vinyl chloride may cause t . ;fher diseases besides tfe* ones Ibey'ie ? '-iirerty uncovered. i .* Some scientist* think they'll etealeiUr lung. buan sad blood-mitl dis- ">oee* are aiso caused fcy exposure to th.e a ft*iSi S&B*SS*- - Pns per million, * &tiow u SJSLfS"* ,ny WonnatlM) 'pound taedo by either joining hydro. - r p*r nuU,* !* per "as ide* ibro fsTirc^lL^ " chloride tnih acetylene or by btU. ; JSJSL-lTM V,, ^ Ubor i* raid. 1,1 e*nr" h* V-i-pidtroowirnumwitdherhievautiveei.hjJlten*a*dflcirhel!orpidreo.- /; . w^julc* ioTer2o*.riit,S>?S.flli.nC*`P'J1,bslttandard lhoafl ffDir, oJf. WWuilplieaSmonUaltni Tf1.5* dated in the 1S3C* and ha* beta in vide Jnftartnai tw fine* the IfW*. Originaiiy **^0'** . Union* are "su`--pporting *(*h"* -p--r-o-o--p--t-e'd aonfdOh-c--c-u-k-p--aa--t-ion.n..a^l S^af^ely*raov,d'hLH;e^i ailTnths,',t,itbuuftet. H tv*?? thought to have no til effect on tituam* in concentration* that did aot - fo&tfce narewit* *> v' Tfce Kattonat Institute for OmrptHon*)* Safetjr aad Health in Washington, 3>-C^ &&d HU Rinai .Medical School in Kw Yort City are both in the middle of mor- uiily studies which should show if rid)'! jYeus analysis chloride workers arc cijwciencio.g a high- standard but many mn'j:durtri are tressed point. ' '- pashms for a higher limit o! somewhere *-------- 1 ^!n''-r srounda "Both might be (heart up on disease and * rale bu:nf. rraawweerr))..' but en a * JJ** lb' no detectable limit aoaid pat proportional baste tiike the Harvard them out of business, pie liras uy there Huo'yj no (addiiiontl) heart ducasa - man be a delectable lerej of vinyl chip, would show." be said. -V .ride at which workers are In no danger. With the Mcrplioa of the Siujian afudy. rvidemly no irwarrh cv'.ilf on the hrart'i reaction to low levels ot vinyl chloride. _ Some worker, at the G,,oodrich PlaM.on Bell* Lane, heirevex, are convinced that umrthiog is *tfce>is thm jMrxrtj. d On^ o-f (b 'thfl hat heatrt lloyd raid his atvnry it engaged ia * mortality sfsdy of worker* here which may show whether or not Share hai bees higher than normal incidence of heart Citeite. atetrffom hgea*rtioiwiie^arschc'acppOewTed Chfcewmiicf>al AAbSslitprhaMrt*t IiK.)1bU&. ^ The over-j;) tcitor of that tcclion was ) ' er teridrnor of such diraase*. Viwi chioride if the bsfle Puiidmg block of a wide* ]y used industrial plastic. Dr. Harry Krimann, a research prolesK-r at JJt. Sinai, raid, '-There is no doubt in cay jnind that we will event#*!!} disewer wbole-sfrios of condition* which develop u a result of exposure to vinyl ' nnnorr^ma-l amount of people having "heial>rt trouble and arteX}- disease, hot we never know what we coaid do about if. tfe'd bring it up in Mirty mceiingi. and !hcy didn't went to 'i about ft. Those socalled raletv meriin.es were motly about how to put a rupiore d-.se back In or '; about not losing any production." T. H. TorieisOn, a Dow Chemical srisediat. who is non' the head of the ilanuixcaurias Chemists Association's vteyl chiorido task force. The task force if fspponei by L'.S. manufaeiurers and users of vLtyl chloride. Tbrkelse?) M}s he relaepslws the abstract but at the time "did sot ihink St was worth pursuing." . chloride, "You already know about the woe, shin and liver chanRos nd the cancer. Sow there I* the Mifgrxtioa of heart U trouble, changes in the lunga and it look* unIaloniwiimmwooucusrf,.ilvy withh.oa*rkttettrhh.see 'n-jjo'na"wffIecti.ya-hg.frier's*etTMal!mo'a?osn1t ha* ha*4d meaning nlinecec plant. r_o_r_o_afcr Phil Lawrence look oer operations more thin a year and oe.i-htlf sgo. "1 iust didn't think it was of oooush s^.i}g.innif,ies.nepet.et1vcdo*ni'rt) msralindtobybejcfmlipi ,dbesilkl yveoaorr Sbweni nniit. ~ like the blood vessel* will be lifccitd." Indeed, Russian-studies done as Ions ago a* 165(1 indicate that extremely low ' lewis of vinyl chloride change a rat'g heart functions. Those studies showed exposure lerrli ' I* low as spprcudDjptcly 12 lo 16 pari* vicyf thjoridc ter million parts air But if fhe v.nrkeis rue enneicced their heart problems are related lo fbrir work thoir phjsicians are nof. r.lysiriaris with whom this reporter talked raid they left that the workers' heart problem* were ' garden variety' of common diseaxe. Further ttuiy teen merited Torkclyon added that RussJan tewsreh "ran range from tfemcnious to paiSv-ue. The man who ran produce rrsuiti is a krro *o sometime* much of i! is priiiicaiiy ' ipdjivried end e*t tefecUficiliy swin#. (ppm) caused irregular rhythm, slowing and other change* in the heart* of 15 JToxA-pr sufpinon tif'e We had no way lu miaste that re*oreh.*' white rats when they levels for live months. brealhed such NllioRally heart dixeaie If the most common esuso of dcalb. somewhere bo* ersBauwt aspipUamrepnltilnysntoo fAinmderoicaat nif rreasceharlochw- yernMta"anidLlAao^e?rcmewo nTto'a^iir'iiaaarv- ' But others roeitft TerkeLwa'a evahia. Lon of Kus-.Un jTTsurrii.' L'L's Dr. }?.%* 'Tens. chemistry profeesor, ray* that aUhnagb h* tsovit lersit might pose danger for larger Mb j-j9wtrf, a LX hran ejrert. And phvsp riothir.g of the fever: xer-tarrh. Baasah loiowledgs of vjovi th'orrde ii gperi!y .saLyi-s_J'_.e*_mf__a_n_dAt_t_h_e_.rat * lx not ex.ka.c/utlay!rltba ,",rJ,s'T*-.t wW mandyo awfoorkteifrsoib^t;ieArh^arvei jnftde from ihe rat * h**jrt to ns*n * JicJrt, fiftl ee.r.osded to M the svex. eivasood ia the world. Dr, Flowers, efvias ed tX'i cardiovtseu. . let section, think* iS*t tha Russian wort /.. Zero t*i1endard under $luay x^lntd^d,Caa:svtcundyce.tfv-(Jocj^vbnscth\ thvpeliaLneusi\*sf. -? Current Aroenean riuo.y.Jincl%udj-ian--g that Hadrtv>a.rhd, KSicah>oMol wcl h)f*iaRWicr,TOnHrhe?;at.iHi-t,,b ' merits further reseatt-h. 5he said, after rosr&Bj a fraoi'isiion of the article. "Ttiey lync ceriainly demon strates: that tten i?e esasges (in rais' ./r-bwi'eiAlfian*v.g Ui*dorcnsoeexntxamMl j^ivrXtarhi^ttwliitgjvsannoonncrat<AiMlAyf^Vt0f<-1C9JuU%M*ftnCt .^.r,,r .lh.*.n' ntahteion*arlr/er^*auH,r.dt.^I:m.. a?ybf i2g*hO7y {<OC(S ot \hp LtoisviHe CotKSrich .!>*** died td liver ccniiolv lo b** *OUm at inc plant arc knr-uti 10 casccT which item? hovt- been Rat fZH?' ^ *U*.<,'fr..n1j3^-Rsijch*aa*br*sd'-'m*H- M^njfiqniHo.scaitdtocietncrrtmeiii*tldivn heart*) *r.d thst tfeow is a eucsuiative effect. How tbst would rriaie to ihe human 1 don't kivow," eexxppoossuurree lo \inyi cWaridt. The world *wrlttew**. BFG33909 'raid* trtftl nf itorh dcaih? now amount* lo Z& Q 9Q LVZ COtWtB'lotlt'Ai, rrui/I, . A RECENTLY complttid Hamit) The recent itiereast lends credence to caused by vinyl chloride, a pi which is study of deaths at the Caivrrt City and those oho believe the latest}' period be used at the plant. LouUvin* Gpodnrh p!.u ihowa that tween the heavy exposure to vinyl chlo Six vinyl chloride worked, who were liver caneer it Sen lime* higher thin it ride and the lime cancer appears ia 0 employed at Sjse pices, have died of a flKRiSd be sr,a that cae.eer in team] it > ears or more. rare liver canter. Two rrcro have ihe about SO per cent higher than normal. ; Company spokesmen, however, point oat that the study involved small num ber* of death*, to that ia some fiver one additional death coaid ccaiipe the tistitlies s:mIir*r,Uy. The. spokesman door not disput* the accuracy of the tiatirtics since the com pany supplied the Harvard researchers with the lefts they seeded. Dr. Irvine 4. Setidoff of the Ml. Sfnii School of Medicine think* "uecoairolied expomtri is th? past are likely to be rtfiected m the occurrence of tumor* ia the decade*ahead..." Shr deathi from cancer :'' Company spokesmen My that the can cancer, ar-iissMtvss* of the Iner. Or.e of the rom furloughed bad boon ea the job lea then ihree years. He cleaned vats ia which vinyl chloride la used. ' " All of the dead worker* wero,first expbsod to- the sisfcaicai whose 0 years ago. The workers have boss furloughed un til it can be deiereid-bd if'additional ex The study done by Dr. Richsrd Monjoa titd Hr, John Peters noted that the amount of oncer in the t*o plants has icerrssed sharply In the lest four yean. They found the rate to be about 203 per cent Itijhrr than expected. The study coveted tk-elhj between 1947 and JPT3. Until 1SS5 employes died o! cer rith the two Ksr.tucky plica is tite explained and point to a study done by the Manufacturing Chemist* Association that show* that cancer deaths in the en tire industry tat "comparable to Ihoa* experienced by other U.S. industrial populations bat lees'than the general pub lic." posure wa!S be ii&rtniul Ticy are re ceiving their tuU pay. Th* dead vconen were als exposed to vinyl chiorjde vheev there ware relative!y few prrcaulitaa icaia to keep it iro-n esesping into tse a?r. Company officials tty Lie! Shry are ac* cuinusitirg jn ex posure level if somewhere mound id cancer at about a nc.iasily expected rale. Eight employe* of the company hast parts vinyl chlu.-fie per imlroh parte air. But after that the rate* started : thou! been furloughed bonus* of ch-atije* ia Company ofTcttb y I her i.v no evi up dramatically. their livers. The changer may have beta dence that U--S a*, haysriui to ku.-.iass. >v v PACE - 2 ` Boweeer, Dr. Dowmi Mid her "SW* 1 that the hazard (to humans) it win* ',> Uut But you kiwaM cot discount what * i kapptacd ia this research." . * She' w* one of several doctor* *io discovered that people inhasing litre ^amounts of FTeon ia order to set high ` were dying of heart attacks rather than ' suffocation or some other cstue u was ' ilrtt thought. Frwa end vinyl chloride are both tydrocartcaa. rt Onee te*tetL for gnetifrotte &*<**> ^ * ^ - His now known tfei* oscrotfated tfetn ,of vinyl chloride can cauj* Mart damage . tat that wtsa t ]sys the case. .f Because high itvtl* of the Si! cium humans to lose consdoumejt, mst tnU- v.eel researchers ifittvs ISXj's recom* 1 mended it use at an aoestkotic. Emv- ployra *1 the Goodrich Delia lane plant j report if teas-not as uocommon. in the- i/past, for workers (o pens out- because of ,,-ezpwure ie the gas. They say ihix no -lenzer happen* now lhil level* of lie , j are more carefully coniroiicd. 1 0 .`In-the 1939* researchera found vinyl \jeMorjdc to I* sefrst of it* family of gases jM'd- noted its ''Etoerrt toxic effect tt* v.bc) wry alight-*' They frit it was safer ftun yome other anerthetics thro in use,! r iadr chloroform. Vinyl chloride's : i'lflWthetir use was recommended *dor i iMpplerarataiy nrwii with laughing gag j ;pd osjEen.'' - t l'}rill; by the IWor further research 1 ' revealed that level! high enough 10 pro- i .date ucew-fciouioi-ta in degt also pro- ! 'dared "very aerioui" isalf-occtiana of the j heart, including racing, independent i ..functioning of tbe right and left &d& and : .other changes in the hearts electrical j > signals... j : When- these effects became known it , *u. of course, concluded that viayl chloride a use a an anesthetic was unsafe. There dangerous effects, however, were caused at ertrernriv fugs levels, such *s 7J.O09 to 110,099 part* vinyl i chloride per million part* of !r. I like all aneathKica, viayl chloride at 'mcttwaely concentrated krrif. cause* 1 1 i* ` < V ;; - \ % BFG33911