Journal Disputes Level of Toxic Chemical’s Risk

Workplace watchdogs and industry advocates agree: Too much hexavalent chromium -- the chemical at the heart of the movie “Erin Brockovich” -- puts people at risk for lung cancer. But how much is too much?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to rule on that Tuesday. But in the run-up to the decision, the journal Environmental Health reported that industry-commissioned scientists withheld data suggesting that even small amounts of the carcinogen, which is used in the steel, aerospace and electroplating industries, can be deadly.

“We think we have an example in which all of the standard elements of scientific distortion are present: hiding behind the lawyers, statistical manipulation, failure to publish ... all that kind of stuff which comes right out of the tobacco industry playbook,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, one of the report’s authors.

Kate McMahon-Lohrer, an attorney at Collier Shannon Scott and counsel for the industry group Chromium Coalition, vehemently disagreed with the Environmental Health report. “That charge is absolutely and completely false and it’s outrageous and libelous,” she said.

McMahon-Lohrer acknowledged that hexavalent chromium raises workers’ cancer risk at high doses but said there was debate about the risk from low doses. She denied that any industry-sponsored research was withheld from OSHA.

David Michaels, head of the project on scientific knowledge and public policy at George Washington University and a senior author of the report, said studies commissioned by an industry group showed that even low doses elevate risk.

“Industry had commissioned a study which looked at newer facilities where exposures were much better controlled, and that study showed that workers with relatively low exposure to hexavalent chromium had greatly increased risk of lung cancer,” Michaels said.

“Erin Brockovich” focused on hexavalent chromium in polluted water. The current matter deals with the chemical in the air that 380,000 U.S. workers might inhale on the job.

From Reuters

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The Week Ahead

Today

* The Commerce Department reports on new-home sales for January.

Tuesday

* The Commerce Department reports preliminary gross domestic product data for the fourth quarter.

* The National Assn. of Realtors reports existing-home sales for January.

Wednesday

* The Commerce Department reports on construction spending and personal income and spending for January.

* The Institute for Supply Management reports on manufacturing activity in February.

* Automakers release their sales figures for February.

Thursday

* The nation’s largest retailers announce their sales figures for February.

* Quarterly earnings report expected from Univision Communications Inc.

Friday

* The Institute for Supply Management reports on service economy activity in February.