mice are not uniquely susceptible to carcinogens and are in fact good predictors of carcinogenic hazards to man. The court points out that Shell has failed to establish that the ben efits derived from the pesticides outweigh the harm that could be done. It also notes that alterna tives—such as carbamates and organophosphates—are "sufficiently efficacious" in controlling corn pests and do not pose the same cancer risks as aldrin and dieldrin. Shell, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmen tal Defense Fund were in the midst of cancellation hearings when EPA issued the suspension order last Oc tober. The cancellation hearings stemmed from a petition by the Environmental Defense Fund to ban aldrin and dieldrin. USDA was seeking to use the pesticides on minor crops such as citrus fruits. According to an EPA official, Judge Herbert Perlman, the agency's chief administrative law judge, will in the next few weeks bring the Envi ronmental Defense Fund, Shell, and USDA together to decide if the cancellation proceedings should re sume. D
Inorganic arsenic standards criticized Proposed federal standards govern ing worker exposure to inorganic arsenic are not strict enough, says Dr. Edward J. Baier, acting direc tor of the National Institute for Oc cupational Safety & Health. Even if the standards were enforced, Baier adds, workers would still face double the expected chance of dying of lung cancer. Testifying at Labor Department hearings last week, Baier said that in NIOSH's opinion "the evidence now in hand requires that all inor ganic arsenic compounds be regard ed as occupational carcinogens and that appropriate controls be imple mented immediately." The evi dence cited by Baier includes re cent studies reporting increased lung cancer mortality among men and women living in U.S. counties where arsenic-emitting nonferrous smelters are located and a study showing significantly higher lung cancer rates among men and women residents οϊ Anaconda, Mont., site of a large copper smelt er, than among residents of the rest of the state. Baier recommends that worker exposure to inorganic arse nic not exceed 0.002 mg per eu m of air over any 15-minute period.
Baier's statement appeared to surprise Labor Department officials conducting the hearings, since the proposed standards are tougher than those recommended by NIOSH in January 1974 and now in effect. These present standards limit worker exposure to inorganic arsenic to 0.05 mg per eu m of air. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration's proposed stan dards establish a maximum expo sure limit of 0.004 mg of inorganic arsenic per eu m of air averaged over any eight-hour period and a ceiling limit of 0.01 mg for any 15-minute period. Concern over arsenic surfaced last summer, when, in response to the then proposed standard of 0.05 mg, Allied Chemical and Dow Chemical reported excess lung and lymphatic cancer deaths among pesticide manufacturing workers exposed to inorganic arsenic. OSHA estimates that about 1.5 million workers are exposed to inor ganic arsenic. Exposure occurs mainly in plants producing arsenic compounds for use as herbicides and pesticides, nonferrous alloys, and wood preservatives, and in glass manufacturing and smelting plants. Industry is expected to testify at the hearings that even OSHA's proposed controls are neither tech nically nor economically feasible and that there are no approved respirators that meet the standard. But industry had not been heard from at press time. More than 60 witnesses are scheduled to testify at the hearings, which should take about two weeks to complete. α
Laboratory, from a slate of four nominees as its candidates for presi dent-elect for 1976. The other nomi nees were Dr. Melvin S. Newman, of Ohio State University, and Dr. William E. Hanford, a former Olin Corp. R&D executive. It is possible, but not likely, that candidates nominated by petition could run with Harrison and Hill in the membershipwide presidential election this fall. The successful candidate will serve on the board from 1976 through 1978 in addition to being president in 1977. The council and board voted in Philadelphia to increase the base rate from which membership dues are calculated from $28 to $31. This means that actual dues, which are calculated by adjusting the base rate for changes in the Consumer Price Index for Services, will be $35 in 1976. They are $29 this year. The council and board also voted to increase the dues alloca ACS very likely will have either its tion to Chemical & Engineering first woman president or its first News from $5.00 in 1975 to $8.00 in black president as a result of ACS 1976. The new guidelines adopted in Council action at the society's, Philadelphia include criteria both relatively well-attended national for employers and for professional employees. Prepared by the Sub meeting in Philadelphia last week. Other actions of the council and committee on Professional Stan of the ACS Board of Directors at dards of the council Committee on the gathering, which had attracted Professional Relations, they will almost 7000 registrants by midweek, replace the current guidelines for employers and complement "The included, among other things: Chemist's Creed." • A boost in membership dues. • A set of guidelines for employ The possible change in location of ment in the chemical field. the society's fall 1977 meeting stems • A possible shift of the society's from a long standing difference over fall 1977 national meeting out of the National Chemical Exposition Chicago. that traditionally runs parallel to The council voted to select Dr. ACS meetings in Chicago. The Anna J. Harrison of Mount Holyoke Chicago Section, which owns the College and Dr. Henry A. Hill, exposition, has been unwilling to president of Riverside Research accept terms for sharing exposition
ACS council, board act on key issues
April 14, 1975 C&EN
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