Hazards from Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
in the Laboratory
by
Robert G. Tardiff, Ph.'D.
Chief, lexicological Assessment: Branch
Health Effects Research Laboratory
U.S. E.P.A., Cincinnati, Ohio
Presentation Made at
Graduate Seminars on ':he Envr.rotiir.eiit
University ot Cincinnati/U. S. EnvironnieuCal Pro feet: ion Agency
Cincinna'r.ij Oh jo
May 20, 1977
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A PREVIOUS SEMINAR HAS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THE GOALS AND POWERS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS, PROGRAMS, AND
POLICIES, DR, BlNGHAM REITERATED THE STATUTORY OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A
WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT IS REASONABLY SAFE AND WITH ONLY MINIMAL RISKS TO
THE HEALTH OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, WHILE THE REGULATIONS ARE AIMED
PRIMARILY AT THE INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY, THAT IS, THOSE WHO SYNTHESIZE,
MANUFACTURE, FORMULATE, AND PACKAGE, THE SAME REGULATIONS DO NOT EXCLUDE
THE SMALLER CADRE OF RESEARCHERS WHO MAY ALSO BE FACED WITH DAILY EXPOSURE
TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS AGENTS,
TODAY'S SEMINAR WILL PRESENT ONE APPROACH TO THE APPLICATION OF
REGULATIONS FOR EMPLOYEE SAFETY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF COMMON SENSE AND
PRAGMATIC CONSIDERATIONS, ALTHOUGH THE PRINCIPLES TO BE DESCRIBED APPLY
TO CHEMICAL AND MICROBIAL AGENTS ALIKE, THE SCOPE OF THIS PRESENTATION
WILL BE RESTRICTED TO THE TOXICITY AND HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMICALS,
ALTHOUGH IN PRINCIPLE, THE CONCEPTS COULD APPLY TO THE MAJORITY OF
RESEARCH LABORATORIES (SUCH AS THOSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI),
THE EXAMPLES DESCRIBED WILL BE TAILORED TO THE BwiRONMENTAL RESEARCH
CENTER OF EPA FOR REASONS THAT WILL BECOME EVIDENT TOWARD THE END OF
THIS PRESENTATION, '
THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM CHEMICALS IN THE RESEARCH LABORATORY
WERE HIGHLIGHTED THIS PAST YEAR BY VIGOROUS ACTIVITY ON THE PART OF EPA
TO DEFINE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM AND TO INSTITUTE, IN AN ALMOST
PRECIPITOUS FASHION, REMEDIAL ACTIONS, CONSEQUENTLY, ALL OF US IN THE
RESEARCH LABORATORIES HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEVERAL ON~SITE INSPECTIONS
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BY THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND BY PRIVATE
CONSULTANTS IN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE, THESE REVIEWS HAVE REVEALED USEFUL'
INFORMATION BY IDENTIFYING DEFICIENCIES IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LABORATORY
OPERATIONS AND. PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, DEFICIENCIES IN OUR KNOWLEDGE
OF THE POSSIBLE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMICALS AND THEIR USES, OUR
CENTER WAS FORTUNATE IN HAVING RELATIVELY MINOR AND CORRECTABLE DEFICIENCIES;
OTHER LESS FORTUNATE EPA FACILITIES WERE CLOSED ENTIRELY,
IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT THE RECENT ACTIVE INTEREST IN EMPLOYEE
SAFETY AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER CAN BE CONSIDERED RENEWED
ACTIVITY, IN THE PAST, OUR RESEARCH HAS BEEN DIRECTING SOME EFFORT
TOWARD EMPLOYEE EDUCATION, TOWARD AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION OF EXPOSURE
TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS, AND TOWARD HEALTH STATUS SURVEILLANCE,
HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO CENTER-WIDE POLICY; AND THE /^PLICATION OF SUCH A
PROGRAM COULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS "SPOTTY," OUR RECENT EFFORTS HAVE
BEEN AIMED AT INSTITUTING A CENTER-WIDE PROGRAM FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL
EMPLOYEES AND WITH CAREFUL BALANCE TO AVOID CREATING A POLLUTANT BURDEN
IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY,
THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM is COMPOSED OF SEVERAL ELEMENTS AS
LISTED IN TABLE 1, THESE ELEMENTS INCLUDE:
(1) IDENTIFICATION OF COMPOUNDS OF GREATER RISK
(2) EVALUATION OF TOXICITY OF COMPOUNDS AND THEIR APPROPRIATE
ROUTE OF EXPOSURE
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(3) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING HAZARDOUS USE OF
CHEMICALS IN THE LABORATORY
(4) EMPLOYMENT OF MECHANISMS FOR AVOIDING OR MINIMIZING
EXPOSURE WHILE EFFECTIVELY COMPLETING TASKS
(5) SURVEILLANCE OF HEALTH STATUS,
THE FIRST STEP IN THIS PROGRAM REQUIRES THE IDENTIFICATION OF
COMPOUNDS THAT MAY POSE A GREATER RISK OF IMPAIRING THE HEALTH OF THE
WORKERS, THIS CENTER AS WELL AS OTHER RESEARCH CENTERS, CONTRAST
SHARPLY WITH INDUSTRY IN THIS RESPECT, IN THE MANUFACTURING PLANT, FOR
EXAMPLE, THERE MAY BE ONLY A HANDFUL TO A FEW DOZEN COMPOUNDS TO WHICH
WORKERS ARE EXPOSED, BY CONTRAST, IN THIS BUILDING ALONE, THERE ARE
OVER 9,000 COMPOUNDS BEING USED IN THE LABORATORIES AS DEMONSTRATED.BY A
RECENT EFFORT TO CATALOG THESE AGENTS,
ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THESE COMPOUNDS ARE RELATIVELY NON-TOXIC
AND DO NOT POSE A HAZARD TO THE HEALTH OF THE WORKER, A SIGNIFICANT
PROPORTION REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION BECAUSE OF GREATER PROBABILITY OF
EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE AND BECAUSE OF RELATIVELY HIGH TOXICITY,
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AT THE OUTSET, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOXICITY AND HAZARD MUST BE
POINTED OUT, "TOXICITY" REFERS TO THAT PROPERTY OF A COMPOUND OR A
GROUP OF COMPOUNDS TO PRODUCE INJURY, Oi THE OTHER HAND, "HAZARD"
REFERS TO THE PROBABILITY OR RISK OF PRODUCING ILLNESS AND ENCOMPASSES
THE TOXIC POTENCY OF THE COMPOUND, THAT IS, THE LIKELIHOOD OF EXPOSURE
AND ITS MAGNITUDE, AND THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE EXPRESSION OF
TOXICITY,
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As NOTED ON TABLE 1, SYSTEMIC TOXICITY CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS ACUTE,
SUBCHRONIC OR CHRONIC, DEPENDING UPON THE DURATION OF EXPOSURE, ACUTE
IS GENERALLY DEFINED AS SINGLE EXPOSURE OR A FEW EXPOSURES OVER A 24 TO
43-HOUR PERIOD, SUBCHRONIC EXPOSURE is GENERALLY MEASURED AS REPEATED
EXPOSURES OVER SEVERAL WEEKS TO SEVERAL MONTHS TO ENCOMPASS APPROXIMATELY
1/10 TO 1/5 OF A LIFESPAN, CHRONIC EXPOSURE USUALLY DEALS WITH DECADES
TO LIFESPAN,
ROUTES OF EXPOSURE ARE SELF-EXPLANATORY WITH RESPECT TO PORTALS OF
ENTRY, HOWEVER, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT COMPOUNDS MAY, ON THE ONE HAND,
EXERT THEIR TOXICITY ON THE PORTAL (FOR EXAMPLE, SKIN AND PULMONARY
IRRITANTS); WHEREAS, OTHER TOXICANTS MAY HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE PORTAL OF
ENTRY BUT MAY PRODUCE TOXICITY AT A DISTAL SITE,- SOME OF THE CHLORINATED
HYDROCARBONS FALL IN THE LATTER CATEGORY BECAUSE THEY ARE LIPID SOLUBLE
AND READILY PASS THROUGH THE MEMBRANES TO PRODUCE THEIR DELETERIOUS
EFFECTS AT SYSTEMIC SITES SUCH AS THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, THE LIVER,
THE KIDNEYS, IMMUNE SYSTEM, OR THE BLOOD FORMING ORGANS,
FREQUENTLY COMPOUNDS ARE CUSSED ACCORDING TO THE ORGANS THAT THEY
EFFECT PREDOMINANTLY, A FEW OF THESE ORGANS ARE LISTED ON THIS SAME
TABLE, SUCH INFORMATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY FOR THE FOLLOWING
REASON: COMPOUNDS MAY ATTACK ONE TARGET ORGAN WITH HIGH DOSE SHORT-TERM
EXPOSURE AND A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ORGAN FROM LOW DOSE LONG-TERM
EXPOSURE, ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS PHENOMENON ARE SOME OF THE HALOGENATED
SOLVENTS WHICH PRODUCE EFFECTS ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AT HIGH
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ACUTE DOSES BUT OTHER ORGANS AT LOWER CHRONIC DOSES, AT TIMES THERE ARE
VALID PHYSIOLOGIC AND METABOLIC REASONS FOR SUCH DIFFERENCES IN TARGET
ORGANS, THUS EMPHASIZING THE NEED TO EVALUATE COMPOUNDS ON AN INDIVIDUAL
BASIS, • BY CONTRAST, THERE ARE SOME COMPOUNDS WHICH APPEAR TO FOCUS
THEIR TOXICITY PREDOMINANTLY ON A SINGLE ORGAN REGARDLESS OF THE MAGNITUDE
OF EXPOSURE, ONE SUCH EXAMPLE IS CARBON TETRACHLORIDE,
THE LAST CATEGORY IDENTIFIES COMPOUNDS ACCORDING TO THE PATHOLOGIC
LESIONS THAT THEY CAUSE, CARCINOGENESIS, OR THE PRODUCTION OF MALIGNANT
TUMORS, IS PERHAPS THE MOST OFTEN CITED BECAUSE OF ITS LONG LATENCY, ITS
SELF-PROPAGATION AFTER INITIATION, AND ITS INCIDIOUS EFFECTS ON THE
HOST, WHILE SOME OF THIS COUNTRY''s MOST RENOWNED ONCOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO AGREE ON THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION OF A "CARCINOGEN", IT IS
IMPORTANT TO FORMULATE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF A "CARCINOGEN" TO
DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR MAXIMUM HEALTH PROTECTION, THE DIFFICULTIES IN
THIS ENDEAVOR ARE EXEMPLIFIED BY THE DIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS:
ON ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM, IT IS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN DIRECT CAUSE-
EFFECT DATA IN MAN BEFORE AN AGENT IS CLASSED AS A CARCINOGEN (FOR
EXAMPLE, AS WAS DONE WITH ASBESTOS AND VINYL CHLORIDE); WHILE AT THE
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OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, A POSITIVE RESPONSE IN SPECIALIZED BACTERIAL
MUTAGENESIS ASSAYS IS ENOUGH TO CONVINCE SOME PROFESSIONALS THAT A'
COMPOUND IS A CANCER HAZARD TOYMAN, ALTHOUGH MAN IS STILL THE BEST
EXPERIMENTAL MODEL FOR MAN, THERE ARE MANY RESERVATIONS ABOUT USING MAN
AS AN EXPERIMENTAL TOOL FOR DETECTING CARCINOGENS, PARTICULARLY WEN THE
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DETECTION METHODS OF RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES ARE RELATIVELY INSENSITIVE,
T Af
THE USE OF SIMPLE lH VITRO SYSTEMS IS FROUGHT WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY AND
UNCERTAINTY IN PREDICTING RESPONSES IN CLASSICAL ANIMAL MODELS SUCH AS
RODENTS,, LEAST OF ALL RESPONSES IN MAN, A COMPROMISE IS TO TREAT
CHEMICALS WHICH HAVE SOLID EVIDENCE OF BEING CARCINOGENIC IN PREDICTIVE
ANIMAL MODELS AS "POTENTIAL HUMAN CARCINOGENS," COMPOUNDS FALLING INTO
THIS CATEGORY WILL BE PRESENTED LATER,
FOR A FEW AGENTS, LEGAL REGULATIONS IMPACT ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPOUNDS AS CARCINOGENS, FOR EXAMPLE IF EPA REGULATES A COMPOUND AS A
CARCINOGEN, EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE LEGITIMATE SCIENTIFIC DISAGREEMENT,
AND EVEN IF OSHA DOES NOT REGULATE THE SAME COMPOUND AS A CARCINOGEN,
THE EPA LABORATORIES LOGICALLY SHOULD TREAT THAT AGENT AS A CARCINOGENIC
RISK WITHIN ITS LABORATORIES,
DESPITE THE SERIOUS THREAT OF CANCER TO HUMAN HEALTH, WE SHOULD NOT
LOSE SIGHT OF OTHER SERIOUS DISEASES THAT MAY BE INDUCED-BY CHEMICALS,
SUCH PATHOLOGIC ENDPOINTS INCLUDE THE CAUSATION CF ANATOMIC BIRTH
DEFECTS, ALSO KNOWN AS TERATOGENESIS, ONE EXAMPLE IS CLEFT PALATE, THE
RESEARCH ON BIRTH DEFECTS HAS BLOSSOMED RECENTLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
NOW RECOGNIZE BIRTH DEFECTS BEYOND THOSE OBVIOUS ANATOMIC DEFORMITIES,
SOME CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PRODUCE BEHAVIORAL DEFICIENCIES OR
BIOCHEMICAL ATERATIONS IN OFFSPRING WHO HAD BEEN EXPOSED IN THE UTERUS,
THE FACT THAT SOME CHEMICALS CAN PRODUCE THAT TO4ICITY RAISES SERIOUS
QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKPLACE EXPOSURES TO TERATOGENS BY WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING
AGE,
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p
ANOTHER OFT-QUOTED ENPOINT is MUTAGENESIS WHICH REFERS TO THE
/!
PRODUCTION OF MUTATIONS THAT ARE TRANSMITTED TO SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS,
ALTHOUGH MAN EXPERIENCES A LOW RATE OF SUCH MUTATIONS PRESUMABLY AS PART
OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, AN INCREASE IN FREQUENCY ATTRIBUTABLE TO
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INCREASES THE PROBABILITY OF DELETERIOUS AS WELL
AS BENEFICIAL MUTATIONS, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED PROBABILITY OF DELETERIOUS
EFFECTS, ARTIFICIALLY INCREASING THE MUTATION FREQUENCY IS CONSIDERED
UNACCEPTABLE,
OTHER ENDPOINTS, SUCH AS CIRRHOSIS AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS, ARE PART OF
A LONG LIST OF PATHOLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS,
As MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, TOXICITY AND HAZARD ARE DIFFERENT BUT
INTER-RELATED CONCEPTS, THE ASSESSMENT OF HAZARD REQUIRES THE CONSIDER-
ATION OF SEVERAL FACTORS, SOME OF WHICH ARE LISTED IN TABLE 3, PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS, SUCH AS VAPOR PRESSURE, SOLUBILITY IN WATER AND LIPIDS,
POLARITY, IONIZATIOM, AND REACTIVITY WITH BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS, ALL
INFLUENCE THE TYPE AND MAGNITUDE OF EXPOSURE AS WELL AS THE TOXICITY OF
THE COMPOUND AND, CONSEQUENTLY, MAY HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON IDENTIFI-
CATION AND AVOIDANCE OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, VOLATILE AND
CORROSIVE LIQUIDS MAY PRODUCE DERMAL AND PULMONARY TOXICITY WHEN AN
INDIVIDUAL IS EXPOSED TO SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES, LlPID SOLUBLE AND POLAR
MATERIALS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PFNETRATE THE SKIN AND BE DISTRIBUTED TO
OTHER ORGANS, THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SOME AGENTS CHANGES GREATLY IN
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DIFFERENT SOLVENTS; THEREFORE., THE PROBABILITY OF EXPOSURE MAY BE
GREATER OR LESSER DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF SOLVENT SELECTED (FOR
EXAMPLE, WATER VS, CORN OIL), THE RESIDENCE TIME IN THE BODY AS WELL AS
THE POTENCY FOR CHRONIC POISONING IS OFTEN INCREASED WITH INCREASING
HALOGENATION OF COMPOUNDS (FOR EXAMPLE, POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS AND
CHLORINATED BENZENES) OR BY THE FORMATION OF ORGANQMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
(FOR EXAMPLE, METHYL MERCURY VS, INORGANIC MERCURY),
THE ROUTE OF EXPOSURE OFTEN PREDICATES THE DEGREE OF RISK AND THE
SEVERITY OF THE TOXIC MANIFESTATIONS, MANY COMPOUNDS ARE POORLY OR VERY
SLOWLY ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN BUT ARE VERY WELL ABSORBED THROUGH THE
LUNGS, GENERALLY, RATE OF ABSORPTION AND QUANTITY ABSORBED ARE HIGHEST
VIA'THE LUNGS, LOWEST VIA THE SKIN, AND INTERMEDIATE VIA GASTRO-INTESTINAL
TRACT, HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY EXCEPTIONS TO THIS GENERALIZATION,
CONSEQUENTLY, SOME COMPOUNDS MAY BE MORE TOXIC, AND THUS PRESENT A
GREATER HAZARD, FOR THE S.AME UNIT DOSE BUT BY DIFFERENT ROUTES OF
EXPOSURE,
MORE THAN TOO CENTURIES AGO, PARACELSUS SAID THAT THE DOSE MAKES
t
THE POISON, THIS CONCEPT IS VALID TODAY, EVEN A SUBSTANCE COMMONLY
CONSIDERED INNOCUOUS,LIKE SODIUM CHLORIDE CAN KILL IN HIGH ENOUGH DOSES,
HOWEVER, WHEN THE TERM "HIGHLY TOXIC" OR "EXTREMELY TOXIC" is USED, IT
GENERALLY REFERS TO ACUTE DOS,£S BETWEEN 5 AND 50 MG/KG AND TO CHRONIC
DOSES BELOW 1 MG/KG BODY WEIGHT PER DAY, CONSEQUENTLY, EVALUATION OF
HAZARD REQUIRES THE QUANTITATION OF DOSE AND FREQUENCY OF EXPOSURE,
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THE TOXICITY, OR THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE INJURY, CAN BE VIEWED FROM
TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: REVERSIBILITY OF THE LESION AND POTENCY OF
THE COMPOUND, IF EXPOSURE LEADS TO AN INSULT THAT IS REVERSIBLE SUCH AS
ENZYME INDUCTION OR TO THE DESTRUCTION OF ONLY A FEW LIVER CELLS, THE
HAZARD MAY BE MINIMAL BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL CAN RETURN TO HOMEOSTASIS
AFTER CESSATION OF EXPOSURE AND BECAUSE THE IMPACT ON THE FUNCTIONS OF
THE EFFECTED ORGANS MAY BE MINIMAL,. IN FACT, SOME EMERGENCY OCCUPATIONAL
EXPOSURES ARE ALLOWED IN WHICH SOME SLIGHT AND REVERSIBLE COMPROMISE IN
FUNCTION IS TOLERATED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, HOWEVER, SOME TOXIC
REACTIONS, SUCH AS CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER AND MANY BIRTH DEFECTS, ARE
CLEARLY IRREVERSIBLE, THE IRREVERSIBLE NATURE OF THESE LESIONS IS
FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT FOR SOME CARCINOGENS AND FOR SOME
TERATOGENS, A SINGLE EXPOSURE IS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE THE LESION, THUS
IN EVALUATING HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CARCINOGENS AND TERATOGENS IN
GENERAL, ONE SHOULD DISTINGUISH, WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING
DATA, BETWEEN THOSE FUNCTIONING THROUGH THE ONE-HIT VS, THE MULTI-STAGE
MECHANISMS OF ACTION, THUS DIFFERENT CHEMICAL CARCINOGENS AND TERATOGENS
CARRY DIFFERENT DEGREES OF HAZARD,
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THE POTENCY OF A COMPOUND, OR THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO PRODUCE THE
TOXIC REACTION IS AN IMPORTANT INDEX OF HAZARD, FOR EXAMPLE, IT TAKES
100 TIMES LESS CARBON TETRACHLORIDE THAN CHLOROFORM TO PRODUCE ACUTE
LIVER INJURY, AND.IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 10,000 TIMES MORE TRICHLORO-
ETHYLENE THAN FOR AFLATOXIN Bj_ (A FUNGAL TOXIN) TO PRODUCE LIVER CANCER,
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CONSEQUENTLY, ALL OTHER CONDITIONS BEING EQUAL IN THE'LABORATORY, 10 MG
OF AFLATOXIN SHOULD PERHAPS BE HANDLED AS A HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL; WHEREAS,
10 MG OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE SHOULD POSE VIRTUALLY NO RISK,
A NUMBER OF FACTORS COULD INFLUENCE THE DEGREE OF RISK FACING THE
WORKER, SOME OF THESE ARE ITEMIZED ON TABLE i\, FOR SIMPLICITY OF
DESCRIPTION, THE FACTORS ARE GROUPED INTO CULTURAL, GENETIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL,
THE CULTURAL FACTORS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN OTHER FORUMS,
SUFFICE TO SAY THAT THERE is AMPLE EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT SMOKING
CIGARETTES, CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, AND CERTAIN DIETARY
PATTERNS, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN COMBINATION, INCREASE THE RISK OF HUMAN
CHRONIC POISONING AND CARCINOGENESIS BY SOME CHEMICALS,
GENETIC COMPOSITION INFLUENCES TO SOME DEGREE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF
INDIVIDUALS, WHILE THE MECHANISMS FOR THIS PHENOMENON HAVE ONLY BEEN
PARTLY ELUCIDATED, IT IS ACKDNWUEDGED THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE RECEPTORS
MORE SENSITIVE THAN OTHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, SEXUAL DIFFERENCES HAVE BEEN
OBSERVED IN THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF DIFFERENT SEXES TO CHLOROFORM TOXICITY,
AT TIMES, INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN SUSCEPTIBILITY ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE
INTEGRITY OF VARIOUS DETOXIFICATION MECHANISMS INCLUDING METABOLISM TO
LESS TOXIC FORMS AND EXCRETION VIA LIVER AND KIDNEYS, IMPAIRMENT OF '
KIDNEY FUNCTION OR INHIBITION OF DETOXIFYING ENZYMES CAN LEAD TO ELEVATED
LEVELS OF TOXICANTS FOR LONGcR PERIODS OF TIME IN THE BODY, THEREBY
INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY, SUCH PROCESSES AND FUNCTIONS ARE
GOVERNED NOT ONLY BY GENE MAKEUP BUT ALSO BY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, ONE
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EXAMPLE IS THE EXACERBATION OF THE EFFECT OF NITRITE IN PRODUCING
METHEMOGLOBINEMIA IN INDIVIDUALS DEFICIENT IN THE ENZYME USED TO CONVERT
THE METHEMOGLOBIN BACK TO HEMOGLOBIN,
REPAIR OF INJURY is AM ESSENTIAL RESPONSE OF THE ORGANISM, INJURED
AND DEAD CELLS CAN BE REPLACED; DAMAGED CELLULAR COMPONENTS INCLUDING
PORTIONS OF CHROMOSOMES CAN BE REPAIRED AFTER INJURY, HOWEVER, IF THE
RATE OF DAMAGE EXCEEDS THE RATE OF REPAIR OR IF THE REPAIR MECHANISMS
ARE GENETICALLY DEFICIENT AS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH XERODERMA PlGMENTOSUM,
THE ORGANISM SUFFERS SOME LOSS OF FUNCTION PROPORTIONAL TO THE EXTENT OF
DAMAGE, WHILE FEW EXTREMES OF SUCH GENETIC DEFICIENCIES EXIST, VARYING
LEVELS OF THESE MECHANISMS ARE MANIFEST THROUGHOUT THE HETEROGENOUS
HUMAN POPULATION, THEREBY ESTABLISHING GRADIENTS OF RISKS WITHIN THE
POPULATION,
MANY CHEMICALS BECOME DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY INCORPORATED IN OUR
FOOD, AIR, AND WATER, SOME OF THESE COMPOUNDS SUCH AS THE POLYCHLORINATED
BIPHENYLS AND THE CHLORINATED BENZENES INFLUENCE EVEN AT RELATIVELY LOW
LEVELS OF EXPOSURE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF WORKERS TO COMPOUNDS IN THE
•,
OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, BY THE SAME TOKEN THE CONVERSE IS ALSO TRUE:
NAMELY, THAT EXPOSUREJO HIGHER LEVELS OF COMPOUNDS AT WORK MAY ALTER
THE ABILITY TO COPE WITH CHEMICALS OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE,
GIVEN THIS BACKGROUND, WE CAN EXAMINE THE COMPOUNDS THAT ARE OF
IMMEDIATE CONCERN, THE METHODS TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO THESE COMPOUNDS/
AND THE PROGP.AM OF MEDICAL MONITORING,
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IDENTIFICATION OF TOXIC PROPERTIES OF THE AGENTS IN USE AT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER HAS BEGUN ONLY RECENTLY, Two EFFORTS ARE •
CURRENTLY UNDER ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT, THE FIRST IS THE DETERMINATION OF
THOSE COMPOUNDS THAT ARE "RELATIVELY NON-JO1- c" AND THUS WOULD REQUIRE
NO SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS BESIDES THOSE COMMON!..' APPLIEU IN THE LABORATORY,
THE SECOND ACTIVITY INVOLVES THE SELECTION OF COMPOUNDS NOT REGULATED AS
CARCINOGENS BUT HAVING SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO CLASS THEM AS "SUSPECT
HUMAN CARCINOGENS," THESE COMPOUNDS ARE LISTED ON TjRBLE 5, I/HEN
ADDITIONAL TOXICITY DATA BECOME AVAILABLE, OTHER COMPOUNDS MAY BE ADDED
TO THIS CATEGORY, IT IS INTENDED THAT JUDGEMENTS WILL BE RENDERED
DELINEATING POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM OTHER TOXIC ENDPOINTS BESIDES CARCINOGENESIS,
TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS, A NUMBER
OF FACTORS MUST BE INTERWOVEN INTO AN INTEGRATED PROSRAM AS OUTLINED ON
TABLE 6,
THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF SAFE HANDLING OF POTENTIALLY
HAZARDOUS AGENTS IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE Or THE SUBSTANCES AND
A 'ir
V1GILENCE IN THEIR LABORATORY USE, WlTH THE PROPER IMOWLEDGE, THE
SUPERVISOR AND EMPLOYEE CAN MAKE VALID JUDGEMENTS AS TO THE DEGREE OF
RISK AND MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED TO REDUCE RISKS, KNOWLEDGE CAN BE
OBTAINED FORMALLY THROUGH SPECIFIC TRAINING COURSES -SUCH AS THE ONE
CURRENTLY OFFERED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTM OR INFORMALLY
THROUGH ON-THE-JOB INSTRUCTION, AWARENESS, ON THE OILIER HAND, IS A
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FUNCTION OF ATTITUDE, A SINCERE ATTITUDE TOWARD PERSONAL SAFETY AND
SAFETY OF FELLOW EMPLOYEE^ CAN LEAD TO CONSCIOUS VIGILENCE FOR HAZARDOUS
A, ' J
CONDITIONS; IT CAN ALSO LEAD TO THE APPLICATION OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES
FOR EXPOSURE AVOIDANCE; AND IT CAN LEAD TO MEANINGFUL ATTEMPTS TO
UPGRADE CURRENT PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURES,
SOME OF THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES INCLUDE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING WHICH
RANGE FROM THE RELATIVELY SIMPLE RUBBER GLOVES TO THE FULLY SELF-CONTAINED
SUIT HAVING ITS OWN AIR SUPPLY, THE LATTER WAS RECENTLY USED SUCCESSFULLY
BY SOME EPA EMPLOYEES TO HANDLE HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF A VOLATILE AND
HIGHLY TOXIC COMPOUND, FOR LOWER CONCENTRATIONS OF SUSPECT CARCINOGENS
AND OTHER TOXIC COMPOUNDS, OUR LABORATORY HAS ADOPTED THE USE OF DISPOSABLE
IMPERVIOUS COVERALLS, SHOE COVERS, CAPS, AND RUBBER GLOVES SUPPLEMENTED
WITH ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER MASKS, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN
DETERMINING THE CONTINUED EFFICACY OF THE CARBON FILTERS, WE ARE NOW
TURNING TO MASKS WITH SEPARATE AIR SUPPLIES,
SINCE MOST ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED WITH POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
CAN BE PERFORMED JN SMALL ISOLATED WORKING AREAS, HOODS ARE ONE OF THE
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BEST RESOURCES TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR EMPLOYEE PROTECTION
AND TO PROVIDE STORAGE OF STOCKS AND DILUTIONS, AS LONG AS THE HOODS ARE
FUNCTIONING ADEQUATELY, uEW GENERATION BIOHAZARD HOODS ARE CURRENTLY
AVAILABLE WHICH CONSIST OF UNITIZED STAINLESS STEEL INTERIORS, THE
HOODS HAVE THEIR OWN EXHAUST SYSTEMS AND A LARGE FILTER CONTAINING A
DISPOSABLE ADSORBENT, THE EFFLUENT AIR IS INCINERATED TO ENSURE VIRTUALLY
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NO DISCHARGE OF COMPOUNDS OUTSIDE THE FACILITY, WHERE POTENTIALLY
HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS MUST BE ADMINISTERED TO EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS,
SPECIAL PORTABLE HOODS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AND ARE CURRENTLY IN USE AT
THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER,
SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE COMMITTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMULGATION
OF EXPOSURE LEVELS THAT ARE CONSIDERED EITHER SAFE OR OF RELATIVELY
MODEST RISK, AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGICALLY FEASIBLE, THE STANDARDS OF
OSHA, THE CRITERIA OF NIOSH, THE THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUES OF ACGIH, AND
THE NCI GUIDELINES FOR CHEMICAL AND VIRAL CARCINOGENS EXEMPLIFY THE
REGULATIONS AND RATIONALES FOR SAFE PRACTICES IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT,
ALL OF THESE DATA ARE AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS AND MANAGERS, FOR EPA
LABORATORIES, AN ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION IS THE IMPACT OF LABORATORY
ACTIVITIES ON. THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND THE POSSIBLE CONTRADICTIONS
BETWEEN LOWER HUMAN EXPOSURE LIMITS SET BY EPA VS, THE OCCASIONALLY
HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS SET BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR WORKERS, PRUDENCE
SHOULD DICTATE THE ADOPTION OF THE MORE RESTRICTIVE LEVEL FOR EMPLOYEE
EXPOSURE WITHIN EPA LABORATORIES,
V
To ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ESTABLISHED SAFE LEVELS OF EXPOSURE,
MONITORING OF THE WORKPLACE IS REQUIRED. THE TYPE AND FREQUENCY OF
MONITORING IS GENERALLY DICTATED BY THE REGULATIONS, DEPENDING UPON THE
COMPOUNDS TO BE ANALYZED, INSTRUMENTS FOR MONITORING ARE AVAILABLE
COMMERCIALLY; AND THE METHOD OF ANALYSIS CAN USUALLY BE OBTAINED FROM
NIOSH,'
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15,
LABORATORY POLICIES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ASSISTING RESEARCHERS
TO CONSIDER ALL POSSIBILITIES FOR EXPOSURE TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
COMPOUNDS, THUS, AS AN EXAMPLE, FOOD SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED IN THE
MODULES WHERE CHEMICAL CARCINOGENS AND OTHER HIGHLY TOXIC COMPOUNDS ARE
UTILIZED, AND TO ASSIST ANY NEW OR UNINITIATED EMPLOYEE, PROTOCOLS FOR
SAFETY PROCEDURES SHOULD BE CLEARLY POSTED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THESE SAME
MODULES,
SINCE REALISTICALLY NO EXPOSURE AVOIDANCE PROGRAM WILL BE FAIL-SAFE
AND SINCE THERE IS A DIVERSITY OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TOXIC COMPOUNDS, A
MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM IS ESSENTIAL, THE TWO SEGMENTS OF SUCH A
PROGRAM ARE OUTLINED ON TABLE 7,
THE FIRST SEGMENT OF THE MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED
FOR THE AGENCY BY DR, JAKES LUCAS OF THE HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH LABORA-
TORY, IT IS DESIGNED BASICALLY TO COVER THE BIOLOGICAL INDICES THAT ARE
MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTIONAL DECREMENTS AND TOXIC RESPONSES,
IDEALLY, BASELINE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO USE OF HIGHLY
TOXIC COMPOUNDS IN THE WORKPLACE, SUBSEQUENT SURVEILLANCE UNDER THE
\
AUSPICES OF A PHYSICIAN CAN DETERMINE ANY UNUSUAL DEVIATIONS THAT,
TOGETHER WITH OTHER DATA: CAN BE USED TO ESTABLISH THE IMPACT, IF ANY,
OF THE CHEMICALS IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT, THE MEASUREMENT OF THESE
PARAMETERS IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
CLINIC AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER; AND ALL EMPLOYEES WHOSE
WORK REGULARLY POSES THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPOSURE TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES ARE
NOW BEING EVALUATED,
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16,
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, ADDITIONAL MEDICAL INFORMATION is
REQUIRED TO VERIFY EXPOSURE AND TO DETERMINE MORE SPECIFIC TISSUE
DAMAGE, WHERE EXPOSURE is FREQUENT TO COMPOUNDS HAVING LONG RESIDENCE
TIMES IN THE BODY AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL LIKELIHOOD OF ACCUMULATION,
THE MONITORING OF BODY FLUIDS FOR TOXICANTS CAN SERVE AS A USEFUL
MEASURE OF EXPOURE, FOR SOME OF THOSE COMPOUNDS WHICH ARE AMENABLE TO
ANALYSIS IN BODY FLUIDS, TOXICITY DATA ARE AVAILABLE INDICATING THE
CONCENTRATIONS IN THE FLUIDS SUCH AS WHOLE BLOOD OR SERUM THAT ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH MINIMAL TOXICITYj AT® LIKEWISE, THE CONCENTRATIONS HAVE
BEEN CHARACTERIZED BELOW WHICH NO TOXIC MANIFESTATIONS ARE LIKELY TO
OCCUR, ONE EXAMPLE OF THE EXTENT OF SUCH DATA is LEAD,
FOR A HANDFUL OF COMPOUNDS, THE TOXICITY HAS BEEN SO EXTENSIVELY
INVESTIGATED THAT HIGHLY SPECIFIC BIOCHEMICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
CAN BE USED AS DIAGNOSTIC AIDS TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN FUNCTIONAL ABNORMALITIES,
FOR EXAMPLE, ALPHA-FETO-PROTEIN LEVELS CAN BE AN EARLY INDEX OF TUMOR
INITIATION BY CHEMICALS SUCH AS AFLATOXIN, FOR LIVER INJURY FROM
CHEMICALS SUCH AS CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, THE ENZYME SORBITAL DEHYDRQ-
GENASE IS SPECIFIC AND SENSITIVE, AND FOR CERTAIN BLOOD DYSCRASIAS SUCH
V
AS PORPHYRIAS CAUSED BY HEXACHLOROBENZENE, SPECIALIZED ENZYMES CAN BE
MONITORED TO DETERMINE WHETHER EXPOSURE HAD EXCEEDED A THRESHOLD FOR
TOXICITY,
DESPITE SUBSTANTIAL STRIDES IN PROTECTING THE WORKER IN THE RESEARCH
LABORATORY FROM POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, SEVERAL PROBLEMS REMAIN
TO BE RESOLVED, THE MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS NOW FACING US ARE PRESENTED ON
TABLE 3,
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17,
DISPOSAL OF CHEMICALS is CERTAINLY THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING
us TODAY, WE DON'T KNOW THE MECHANISMS OF DISPOSING OF MOST OF THE
HIGHLY TOXIC COMPOUNDS INCLUDING THE CARCINOGENS. IF THE COMPOUNDS ARE
BURIED, THEY POSE A SUBSTANTIAL SOLID WASTE PROBLEM; AND THEY MAY BE
TRANSPOSED AT A LATER DATE WHEN THE CONTAINERS DETERIORATE, IF THEY ARE
DISCHARGED TO THE SEWAGE SYSTEM, MOST LIKELY THEY ARE NOT DETOXIFIED BY
THE RUDIMENTARY SEWAGE TREATMENT PROCESSES OF MOST COMMUNITIES, IF THE
COMPOUNDS DO END UP IN THE SEWAGE SLUDGE, WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR
IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND ULTIMATELY TO MAN, IF PYROLYSIS IS
ATTEMPTED, WE DON'T KNOW THE OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR DECOMPOSITION OF
CHEMICALS; CONSEQUENTLY, SOME OF THE MORE STABLE COMPOUNDS MAY BE
VOLATILIZED OR AEROSOLIZED TO BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION
PROBLEM, THIS IS CERTAINLY A FERTILE AREA FOR MUCH NEEDED RESEARCH,
•THE SECOND PROBLEM AREA IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE CHEMICALS AND
THEIR CONDITIONS OF USE WHICH ARE LIKELY TO CREATE A HAZARD, AT PRESENT,
THE LARGE VOLUME OF CHEMICALS AND THE DIVERSITY OF USES HAS GENERATED A
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM, WHILE THE PROBLEM IS BEING ADDRESSED WITH A RATIONAL
STRATEGY, THE VOLUME IS SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO GREATLY DELAY THE FINAL
PRODUCT, AT PRESENT -THE COMPOUNDS ARE BEING CATALOGED ACCORDING TO
VARYING DEGREES OF TOXICITY; AND SPECIAL IRREVERSIBLE ENDPOINTS SUCH AS
CARCINOGENESIS ARE BEING HIGHLIGHTED, IN ADDITON, CRITERIA ARE BEING
DEVELOPED 'FROM WHICH TO DRAW ACTIVITY MAPS FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE HIGHLY
TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE BEING EMPLOYED, THE OUTPUT FROM THIS EFFORT MAY
LEAD ULTIMATELY TO THE ISOLATION OF A VERTICAL COLUMN IN THE BUILDING TO
BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR RESEARCH WITH HIGHLY TOXIC COMPOUNDS,
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18,
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE TOXIC PROPERTIES OF COMPOUNDS AND ABOUT PROPER
HANDLING AND CONTAINMENT VARIES CONSIDERABLY AMONG THE STAFF OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER, BY CONTRAST, FINDING COURSES WHOSE •
CONTENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IS DIFFICULT, THIS WEEK
WE HAVE WITNESSED THE INITIATION OF A TRAINING COURSE SPECIFICALLY
DIRECTED TOWARD THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED TODAY, II IS HOPED THAT THE
MAJORITY OF LABORATORY WORKERS WILL AVAIL THEMSELVES OF SUCH EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES, IT WILL BE EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS
TO ENSURE THAT EDUCATION CONTINUES BEYOND THE INITIAL COURSE,
I WISH TO CONCLUDE THIS PRESENTATION BY DESCRIBING SUMMARILY THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE HAZARDOUS flATERIALS^ COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIONMENTAL
RESEARCH CENTER, LAST FALL, DR, DAVID STEPHAN, SENIOR OR&D OFFICIAL OF
EPA IN CINCINNATI, CHARTERED A COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT I
HAVE PLACED BEFORE YOU TODAY, THE CHARTER IS OUTLINED ON TABLE 9,
BASICALLY THE COMMITTEE is DEALING WITH THE THREE MAJOR AREAS: (1)
IDENTIFYING THE COMPOUNDS AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES OF GREATER HEALTH
RISK, (2) THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPOSURE AVOIDANCE PROGRAM, AND (3) THE
SUPPLEMENT TO THE HEALTH STATUS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, (
TO DATE, THE COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED THE AIRHANDLING SYSTEM AND
SCHEDULE IN THIS BUILDING AND HAS MADE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, THE
COMMITTEE HAS ALSO STRONGLY ADVOCATED AND SUPPORTED THE TRAINING NEEDS
FOR EPA LABORATORY PERSONNEL,
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19,
THE COMMITTEE is COMPOSED OF A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED ON'
TABLE 10, THE MEMBERSHIP is DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS BECAUSE OF THE NEED
TO CLEARLY DEFINE TOO SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS, Ol THE ONE HAND THE COMMITTEE
INCLUDES A VARIETY OF EXPERTIES TO ADDRESS THE MULTIFACETED PROBLEMS;
AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE COMMITTEE HAS DIRECT TIES TO THE UNION AND
TO EACH PROGRAM IN THE FACILITY AS WELL AS TO OUTSIDE PROGRAMS, THE
DISTINCTION OF ROLES DOES NOT DETRACT FROM THE FULL TECHNICAL PARTICIPATION
OF ALL REPRESENTATIVES,
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TABLE 1
ELEMENTS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
1 - IDENTIFICATION OF COMPOUNDS OF GREATER HEALTH RISK.
2 - EVALUATION OF TOXICITY OF COMPOUNDS UNDER APPROPRIATE
ROUTE OF EXPOSURE
3 - DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING HAZARDOUS USE
OF CHEMICALS IN THE LABORATORY
o
4 - EMPLOYMENT OF MECHANISMS FOR AVOIDING/MINIMIZING
EXPOSURE WILE EFFECTIVELY COMPLETING TASKS
5 - SURVEILLANCE OF HEALTH STATUS
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TABLE 2
CATEGORIZATION OF TOXICITY
A - DURATION OF EXPOSURE;
1 - ACUTE
2 - SUBCHRONIC
3 - CHRONIC
B - ROUTE OF EXPOSURE:
1 - DERMAL £ OCCULAR
2 - INGESTION
3 - INHALATION
C - ORGANS /^FECTED:
1 - REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY
2
3
5 -
6-
7 -
NEUROLOGIC "
ENDOCRINE "
HEPATO- "
RENAL "
CARDIO-VASCULAR "
D - PATHOLOGIC ENDPOINTS:
1 - CARCINOGENESIS
2 - TERATOGENESIS
3 - MUTAGENESIS
1 ™ CIRRHOSIS
5 - ATHERSOCLEROSIS
6-
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TABLE 3
SOME FACTORS EVALUATED IN ASSESSING RISKS
TO WORKER HEALTH
1 -'PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AGENTS
2 - ROUTE OF EXPOSURE
3 - MAGNITUDE OF EXPOSURE
4 - TOXICITY: (A) TYPE: - REVERSIBLE
- IRREVERSIBLE
(B) POTENCY
5 - PREDISPOSING FACTORS
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TABLE
FACTORS INFLUENCING TOXICITY & RISK
A - CULTURAL: - CIGARETTE SMOKING
. - ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
- DIET
- THERAPEUTIC AGENTS
"B - GENETIC: - INHERENT SENSITIVITY
- DETOXIFICATION
- REPAIR
C - ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS OF FOOD
AIR
WATER
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TABLE 5
NONREGULATED ANIMAL CARCINOGENS
Aflatoxin B, & G,
Alpha-naphthylamine
Aminotriazole
Arsenic compounds
Asbestos
Azobenzene derivatives - eg. butter yellow
Benz(a)anthracene
Benzo(a)pyrene
Benzyl chloride
Beryllium compounds
Bis-(2-chloroethyl sulfide) (mustard gas)
Carbon tetrachloride
Chloroform
Cycasin
DDT-1,l,l-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane
Dibenz(a,h)anthracene
1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane
7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene
Dimethylcarbamyl chloride
1,2-dimethylhydrazine
DimethyIsulfate
p-Dioxane
Diphenylhyda-ntoin
Ethionine
Ethylene dibromide
Sthylenethiourea
Ethyl carbamate
3-methyl cholanthrene
Methylmethane sulfonate
Methylnitrosourea
2-naphthylamine mustard
N-Nitrosodimethylamine
Nitrogen mustard
2-nitronaphthalene
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
1,3-propane sultone
Safrole
Senecio alkaloid
Thiourea
Uracil mustard
Urethane
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TABLE 6
ELEMENTS OF EXPOSURE AVOIDANCE PROGRAM
1 - KNOWLEDGE & /BARENESS:
(A) TRAINING
(B) EXPERIENCE
2 - PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
(A) GARMENTS: - INHALATION
- DERMAL
(B) VENTILATION: HOODS
3 - EXPOSURE STANDARDS AND
GUIDELINES:
- WORKPLACE MONITORING
(A) OSHA STANDARDS
(B) NIOSH CRITERIA
(c) ACGHI TLV's
(D) NCI GUIDELINES
(E) EPA ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
- PROTECTIVE POLICIES:
(A) VS, FOOD CONSUMPTION IN
REGULATED AREAS
(B) PROTOCOLS FOR OPERATIONS
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TABLE 7
PARAMETERS EVALUATED IN HEALTH STATUS SURVEILLANCE
A - ROUTINE:
(1) PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
(2) HEMATOLOGY: QBC, HB, PCV
(3) CLINICAL CHEMISTRY: ALBUMIN, GLOBULIN,
TOTAL PROTEIN, BILIRUBIN, SGPT, SGOT,
LDH, AP, CA, P, URIC ACID, CREATININE,
UREA NITROGEN, CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES,
GLUCOSE, i'lA, CL, K
W) CHEST X-RAY
(5) E
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TABLE 8
. MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS
JJL.DEAUNG WITH HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
1 - DISPOSAL
2 - IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND CONDITIONS
OF USE
3 - TRAINING
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TABLE 9
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMITTEE OF ERG;
CHARTER
1 - CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND OPERATIONS
2 - IDENTIFICATION OF HIGHLY TOXIC COMPOUNDS
3 - CRITERIA FOR EXPOSURE AVOIDANCE PROGRAM
4 - COORDINATION WITH MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM
5 - CONSULTATION ON NON-ROUTINE MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
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TABLE 10
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMITTEE OF ERG;
COMPOSITION
A - MEMBERS, .,,, ,,,,, •,,,,,,,, .EXPERTISE
DR. GERALD BERG
MR. GEORGE BODMER
I-fc, MICHAEL CONNORS (OSHA)
MR, JOSEPH DIXON (NIOSH)
DR. JOHN LOPER (U.C.)
DR. ALAN STEVENS ,
DR. ROBERT G. TARDIFF
ViROLOGY/BACTERIOLOGY
SAFETY
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
TOXICOLOGY
,GENETics/MiCROBiOLOGY
CHB-IISTRY
TOXICOLOGY
B - LIAISON MEMBERS ,., ;.....,............ REPRESENTATION
MR, JOSEPH ANDERSON
MR, RONALD BARON
MR, ARNOLD COHEN
MR, CHARLES FELDMANN
DR, DAVID FIELER
MR, FRED HAMBLET
MR, GRAHAM HAIRR
DR. Wto, P. KIRK
[fe, DONALD SILVIS
DR, FAROL TOMSON
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING & SUPPORT LABORATORY
MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
NATIONAL TRAINING & OPERATIONAL TECH, CENTER
TECHNICAL SUPPORT DIV/OFF, WATER SUPPLY/CINN,
HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH LABORATORY/CINCINNATI
HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH LABORATORY/RIP
HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH LABORATORY/RTF
INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
DLAM, UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
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