My father, with Eula Bingham as a younger toxicology assistant, demonstrated that benzidine-based dyes produce bladder cancer. They were looking at a group of people employed at a Cincinnati-based company that I believe eventually moved to New Jersey and became Toms River Chemical. They did their work in the late 50s and through the 60s as far as I can tell. Eula told me last week that they pushed to get their definitive paper out in the late 60s in anticipation of federal legislation that would create a national occupational safety and health agency.
My father in law was employed as an electrician at Allied Chemicals Buffalo Color in the 50s and 60s. They were the only site that made indigo dye for denim fabric. Benzidene based dye. He retired at 65 and barely made it to 69 when he died of cancer at multiple organ sites. They could not determine the first site
Peter,
You might look at the orginal version of Alice Hamilton.M.D.'s (I think 1928) called "Exploring the Dangerous Trades". I'll bet you could find a re-issed version on Amazon.
She was actually the "mother" of Occupational Medicine in the US, the first Woman to be on the faculty of the Harvard School of Public Health, and came from Indiana (not too far from where I gew up and went to medical school). A fascinating read about the time when workers and employers seemed to accept that work just wore out workers and this was acceptable (NOT!).
I believe there was some discussion of the munitions and dye industries in there. It's been some time since I read it in full.
Then her collaboration with Elizabeth Hardy (who began what we know know of berrylium toxicty) and thier early publications might yield some insights.
Although not in the realm of dye chemistry, an excellent book on the state of industrial product versus the discounting of the employee is the
And in 1936, the primary cancer may not have arisen in the liver. Research also the status of cancer research in 1936 to examine the assumption that the cancer was actually liver cancer.
Monona Rossol, M.S., M..F.A., Industrial Hygienist
President: Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.
Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Common industrial lab safety practices 1906-1930?
Azo dyes and other chemicals used for various purposes in the textile industries have long been linked to excesses in cancer (although liver cancer is not predominate). There is a study from IARC (http://www..inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol48/48-13.html) from 1990 that provides a bit of information. My suspicion is that it was more than just lab safety that may have had an effect on your relative. I would guess (but do not know) that the factory workers were at greater risk than the lab workers.
I am sure some others can share their understanding.
S.Z. Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP
Consultant in EHS and Sustainability
With the wisdom of this listserve, I bet a few of you may provide some information on this topic.
A family member is writing a history of a relative who was a Harvard-educated dye chemist at a New England textile firm from 1906 until about 1930. At that time his health began to deteriorate and he "retired" from chemistry. He died in 1936 of liver cancer at 51 years of age.
Both she and I know it is highly speculative to associate his work and poor health, but she wonders what laboratory safety precautions might have been in common industrial use during that time. Do you know?
When I worked at the University of Wisconsin, a retired chemistry professor there told me that his first "gas mask" was purchased from army surplus prior to WW II. In my career, I've helped remodel labs with functional fume hoods dating from the 1920s. Were masks, gloves, hoods, etc. in common use in industrial labs between 1906 and 1930?
Perhaps there is a book that traces this safety history. If so, I'd appreciate hearing about it
Director, Office of Environmental Health & Safety
135 College St., Suite 100
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