Document zogb4zYo8KEDemD0ZnrKpRJ46

Monsanto Monsanto Company 800 N. Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63167 Phone: (314) 694-1000 August 15, 1986 .DEPARTMENT OE MEDICINE & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Kathleen Gallagher Northwestern University Medical School Department of Medicine 215 E. Chicago Avenue, Suite 801 Chicago, Illinois 60611 Dear Kathleen: Enclosed are the work histories for all Krummrich hourly employees who were included in the unexposed study population of the Northwestern/ Monsanto health study. The work histories (MEHI header and work records) are stored on an IBM standard labelled, nine-track computer tape with the following specifications: DSN of file 1 = MEH.NWSTUDY.NEXPHEAD DSN of file 2 = MEH.NWSTUDY.NEXPWR1 VOL/SER = 986853 EBCDIC DEN = 4 (6250 BPI) LRECL = 80 BLKSIZE = 6160 RECFM = FB ( 1,641 header records) (10,481 work records) . Please note that the header and work records are stored in separate files on the computer tape. Furthermore, the same information that was given in my earlier letter (June 10, 1986) applies to this tape. However, I did not explain how to decipher the department/area code (columns 25-31). The first two digits (columns 25-26) were originally used to indicate the status of the department. The digits *00' represented an active department, '09' - an inactive department, '08'- Chemical Warfare Services plant. Unfortunately, hindsight is always better and departments that were active a few years ago and assigned the digits '00' when this project began are not necessarily active today. Furthermore, when I had the work histories edited, I did not require the clerical staff to verify these two digits, except for '08'. The next three digits (columns 27-29) represent the department code as it was recorded on the Krummrich plant personnel records. Thus, department 236 would be coded as '236'. The last two digits (columns 30-31), which represent the area field on the MEHI work record, is a division of the department. In some cases, there were letters associated with the department codes, e.g. A-236 or P-222, which were coded by using the numeric equivalent of the letter in the alphabet. For DSW 476038.0838 STLCOPCB4043002 Kathleen Gallagher August 15, 1986 Page 1 example, department A-236 was coded as '236' in columns 27-29 and '01' in columns 30-31, whereas P-222 was coded as '222' in columns 27-29 and '16' in columns 30-31. With respect to a department/time period table for the exposed departments, I sent this information to Dan Hryhorczuk in a letter dated October 25, 1985. However, I just noticed that I had more detailed information in a letter to Marilyn Fingerhut at NIOSH, as seen in the following excerpt: "Once the work histories were coded for all Krummrich employees who worked anytime between 1935 and 1982, the employees who worked in the pentachlorophenol and/or 2,4,5-T esterification units were identified. The employees were selected if they worked in any of the following departments during the specified period(s) of time: Unit Department Period Pentachlorophenol 225 226 227 236 B821 July 1967-1975 Oct. 1938-1955 July 1967-1978 July 1967-1975 Oct. 1938-1978 1963 2,4,5-T esterification 268 1960-1971 The department codes listed above were obtained from internal Monsanto documents, accounting records, and other Monsanto personnel who were familiar with the operation of the two units." "Actually, departments 225 (July 1967-1975), 226 (July 1967-1978), and 227 (July 1967-1975) were accounting code changes and department B821 was dis covered by coding the work histories, since some of the jobs in department B821 had the title "experimental prilled penta B operator". However, none of the employees had departments codes 225 (July 1967-1975) or 226 (July 1967-1978) listed on their employment records, whereas only two and five employees had the department codes 227 (July 1967-1975) and B821 listed, respectively. Incidentally, department 226, along with 237, was used prior to October 1938 to identify the production of o-chlorophenol and a toluene sulfonic derivative." With respect to a department/time period table for the departments with confounding exposures, please refer again to my letter dated October 25, 1985 to Dan Hryhorczuk. However, I have obtained additional information that may be helpful. It appears that the quality control laboratory not only had the department code '861' from 1962 to the present, but also '508' from 1951-1961, and '313' prior to 1951. Furthermore, department codes 333, 811, and 899 (regardless of time) was used for maintenance, although I focused on jobclass codes that began with '89' when I originally selected the unexposed study population. DSW 476038.0839 STLCOPCB4043003 Kathleen Galiagner August 15, 1986 Page 3 If you are not thoroughly confused by now, then review the Department Number Cross Reference List (enclosed) that I used when we edited the work histories for all Krummrich hourly employees. This document should provide you with department names, codes, and time periods, although the time periods may not be perfect. Incidentally, this document was prepared by the accounting department at the Krummrich plant in July 1968. If you have any questions, please call. Sincerely, Terry L. Leet Epidemiologist Enclosure cc: W.R. Gaffey - G2WE J.H. Spraul, MD - G2WE Dan Hryhorczuk, MD - Northwestern University (Department Number Cross Reference List enclosed) Joe Schriener - Northwestern University (computer tape enclosed) i DSW 476038.0840 STLCOPCB4043004