Tobacco Documents Online

MEMORANDU l~t DATE: MARCH 17, 1994 RE: SUMMARY OF PUBLISHED REPORTS CONCERNING OSHA STUDIES OF WORKPLACE EXPOSURE TO DETERMINE LUNG CANCER, HEART DISEASE RISKS On September 14, 1993, the Department of Labor approved two contracts to conduct the two studies that represent OSHA's first assessment of the link between workplace secondhand smoke and increased risks of lung cancer and heart disease. OSHA believes that these studies are designed to provide OSHA with added expertise in determining whether to regulate ETS as an occupational hazard. The EPA, in January of 1993, labeled ETS a Class A known human carcinogen, but the report relied upon studies of spousal exposure in home and not the workplace. Although OSHA has cited the comparative lack of studies on work exposure as a key stumbling block in regulating secondhand smoke in the workplace, the agency contracts do not call for any new research to be conducted. One of the contracts will require Silver Spring, Maryland-based Meridian Research Incorporated to report to OSHA by September, 1994 on available research linking ETS to cardiovascular disease and review research on lung cancer conducted since the EPA report was released. A separate study will be conducted by Ruston, Louisiana- based Clement International which will review research to determine whether the risk of lung cancer or heart disease from secondhand smoke can be drawn from data measuring the levels of cotinine. This review was due at OSHA in February, 1994. OSHA apparently decided to pursue a cardiovascular review because it determined that "substantial evidence exists in the literature to support the agency including cardiovascular disease in its analysis of health effects" of ETS "and perhaps its inclusion in a preliminary quantitative risk assessment," according to the contract with Meridian Research Incorporated. If OSHA determines a relative link between ETS and cardiovascular disease, the data could be included in the preliminary risk assessment section of a notice of proposed rulemaking, according to the contract. 1:0863333

MARCH 17, 1994 PAGE 2 "The importance of this is that OSHA staff believe it is possible for the risk assessment to be driven by the risk of cardiovascular disease in non-smokers and does not wish to leave any doubt as to the appropriateness of utilizing the endpoint in the risk assessment," according to the contract. The second contractor, Clement International, will assist the agency in reviewing various research models developed to evaluate blood levels of nicotine and cotinine and their usefulness in estimating the risk of lung cancer and heart disease from ETS exposure, according to the contract. Two well-known models have been developed on cotinine measurement;; one by the EPA and a second from researchers for R.J. Reynolds, the tobacco corporation. LPD/tks 10863333