deposits suggests supplies will last more than 35 years if used at the rate of about 10 million tons a year—the rate the units will require when fully operating. Construction of the major parts of the power plant is anticipated to begin in about two years. In the meantime, Dow expects to push ahead with its crude oil unit near Freeport. This unit is designed to produce both feedstocks for making chemicals and fuel for power generation from crude oil. This crude oil unit also is designed to reduce Dow's dependence on natural gas as a fuel for power generation. The Dow plants at Freeport require large amounts of electric power for both process equipment operation and electrochemical manufacture of chlorine, caustic soda, and magnesium. D
William Lijinsky of Fredrick Cancer Research Center. Lijinsky argues that West Germany leads EC animal tests historically have signaled reinforced plastics output important cancer hazards and to igBelgium, Luxembourg & nore their findings would be to the Netherlands endanger public heâth (C&EN, June Denmark 6.2% 27,1977, page 24). ' 2.7% A new look at the distinction between substances that initiate cancer and those that promote it was presented by Dr. Dennis V. Parke of the University of Surrey in England. Parke believes that in many cancers a mutation takes place in a cell's DNA (initiation) and cell processes that replicate that DNA and synthesis of proteins from it are speeded up so that the cell is transformed into a malignant one before the DNA is repaired (promotion). Many weak carcinogens, notably many organohalogen compounds, are promoters rather than initiators of 1977 total; 371,200 metric tons carcinogenesis, Parke maintains. They work in two ways. They deDelaney forum covers crease the amount of rough endolittle new ground plasmic reticulum in the cell that set plastics in the European Comcauses the cell to shift from producing munities has grown to 371,200 metric One of the most important negative glycoproteins for export to proteins tons (817 million lb) in 1977 from health implications of the Delaney for internal use. Promoters also con- 260,500 tons (573 million lb) in 1971 philosophy, Monsanto toxicologist vert cytochrome P-450, an important for a compound growth rate of 7% per John J. Frawley told a conference last oxidizing enzyme, to cytochrome P- year. In 1977 a relatively high 60,000 week, is that it forces so many toxi- 448, another oxidizing enzyme, but metric tons (132 million lb) of reincologists to attend conferences where one that is less efficient in detoxifying forced thermoplastics were prothey restate their own positions and "foreign" chemicals in the cell. D duced. chanee no one's opinion. Their time However, during these years, reincould be better spent, he said, in the forced plastics growth in Europe was laboratory doing "more mundane" Europe makes gains in hit hard, as it was in the U.S., by the toxicology. Although said largely in materials shortages of 1974 and the jest, Dr. Frawley's remarks fairly well reinforced plastics recession in 1975. Renewed growth summarized the feeling at a conferand stabilization occurred in 1976, as ence in Washington, D.C., last week Although their own good fortunes it did in the first half of 1977. But on the scientific basis for interpreting in the U.S. dominated the annual after mid-1977, various industrial the Delaney clause—the law that conference of the Reinforced Plas- operations began working short days prohibits use in food of any substance tics/Composites Institute in Wash- in West Germany, the largest Eurothat causes cancer in animal tests. ington, D.C., last week (see page 11), pean reinforced plastics market. And The conference, sponsored by the [>roducers of materials and finished the Owens-Corning officials expect International Academy ôf Environ- aminates heard of considerable anti-inflation moves to slow French mental Safety, included many of the progress by reinforced plastics in activity in reinforced plastics. more prominent voices that challenge Europe. Although the market there is Among EC countries, West Gerthe scientific rationale of the Delaney less than half as developed as in the many is the leading thermoset reinclause. Supporters of the clause, U.S., Europeans are at the forefront forced plastic producer, with 118,700 though less numerous, were also rep- in some of the newer strides in rein- metric tons (261 million lb) in 1977. resented. forced plastics, such as automated However, growth in Germany is the The real issue involved in the De- processing and use of reinforced lowest among the six countries in the laney debate is how to fashion public thermoplastics. Also, European use of Owens-Corning survey at 30% all told policy to provide the most protection these materials in automobiles, one of between 1971 and 1977. from the risk of carcinogens in food, the strongest potential growth marThe growth leader among EC said Washington-based lawyer Peter kets—although hot as important as in countries in reinforced plastics is B. Hutt. Food that is completely the U.S.—is due for a doubling over France, where reinforced plastic risk-free is impossible, he says, so the nextfiveyears. production increased 63.5% over policy must be established to elimiThese are major conclusions re- these years to 89,900 metric tons (198 nate the most serious risks, warn sulting from a broad-scale survey of million lb) in 1977. In the surveyed about moderate ones, and ignore the European reinforced plastics markets EC countries, reinforced plastics rest. Rep. James G. Martin (R.-N.C.) given at the conference by two exec- production grew 38.5% during this explained his efforts in Congress to utives of U.S.-based Owens-Corning period in the U.K. and Ireland to modify the Delaney clause so that the Fiberglas—N. Stirling Johnson, reach 73,500 tons (162 million lb); benefits to the public of allowing use marketing manager of the interna- 44.0% in Italy to 56,100 tons (123 of a substance in food would have to tional division, and Jean Delville, million lb); 53.0% in the Benelux be weighed against its risks before the commercial director of European countries to 23,000 tons (51 million substance could be banned. On the operations. They estimate that the lb); and 33.0% in Denmark to 10,000 other side of the argument is Dr. overall market of reinforced thermo- I tons (22 million lb). G 8
CAEN Feb. 13. 1978
