Mouse study findings key in Fallon cancer cases, scientists say - arsenic + tungsten --> leukemia, brain cancer ?

[Guest guest]

*Mouse study findings key in Fallon cancer cases, scientists say*

X. Mullen (FMULLEN@...)

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

April 27, 2006

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS10/604270350/1016/NE\

WS

FALLON -- Scientists who exposed pregnant mice to a combination of

arsenic and tungsten said the metals resulted in genetic changes in the

offspring -- mutations related to development of leukemia and brain cancer.

Researchers said that's significant news for Fallon, a town associated

with a leukemia cluster of 17 children, three of whom have died.

Previous testing has shown Fallon has large amounts of tungsten and

arsenic in its groundwater and tungsten particles in its air.

The scientists said the mouse study's results need to be verified with

further gene tests, but said the preliminary findings give weight to the

theory that leukemia clusters in Fallon and in Sierra Vista, Ariz.,

might be related to environmental exposure to heavy metals.

Floyd Sands, whose daughter, , 21, died of leukemia in 2001,

said the study goes far beyond the work done by federal agencies in

Fallon several years ago. The agencies couldn't find any environmental

causes for the cluster.

" Fortunately, real research is finally being done in Fallon, " Sands

said. " The independent scientists are getting somewhere. It's because of

these dedicated people, we still have hope an answer will be found. "

The 21 researchers, who presented findings at a biology conference in

San Francisco this month, concluded that " environmental metals exposure,

specifically arsenic and tungsten, probably does play a role in the

development of these childhood leukemia clusters. "

Mark L. Witten, a University of Arizona research professor of pediatrics

and study co-author, said the mouse " pups " exhibited the gene changes

associated with leukemia and brain cancer, but it's unknown whether the

mice eventually would have developed either or both diseases.

" Have we definitively said that tungsten-arsenic can cause leukemia in a

mouse? No, " he said. " We don't claim to say that. We're saying the genes

(have been changed) just like they are in humans who develop leukemia or

brain cancer. "

But he said the effects of the tungsten-arsenic exposure on the genes

were so striking that " the odds of this being a random occurrence are

just mind-boggling. It's hard to think that it's not somehow related to

the leukemia cluster. "

Previous studies by government scientists released in 2004 showed high

levels of the metal tungsten and arsenic in Fallon residents' urine and

water supplies. Since then, the town's new treatment plant has filtered

arsenic from the municipal water supply.

Neither tungsten nor arsenic has been shown to cause leukemia, but

scientists have linked tungsten to tumors in rats when the metal is

combined with cobalt.

Tungsten is naturally occurring in Nevada, so scientists couldn't tell

if the source of the metal in Fallon was natural or industrial.

But Witten and R. Sheppard, an assistant professor of

dendrochronology, the science of dating events by looking at tree rings,

at the University of Arizona in Tucson, also did studies that concluded

Fallon has 13 times more tungsten in its dust than other Nevada cities

and towns tested, has high levels of the metal in tree rings and that

airborne concentrations of tungsten-cobalt decrease with distance from a

tungsten manufacturing facility in Fallon.

Witten and Sheppard concluded that the pattern of airborne tungsten and

cobalt in the town suggests a single source for the two metals with the

" hard metals plant " -- the Kennametal manufacturing plant in Fallon -- a

likely source.

Officials of Kennametal, which operates a tungsten refinery 10 miles

north of Fallon and the tungsten-carbide plant in town, said their

operations meet or exceed environmental regulations and have nothing to

do with the cancer cluster.

Kennametal officials respond

Joy Chandler, Kennametal spokeswoman, said it would be premature for the

company to comment on the mouse study based on the partial results

released this month. She said the firm wants to see the full report of

the study once it is published in a scientific journal.

" Of course, we are watching the studies everywhere in the world that

involve the material we work with, but we just keep going back to the

fact that the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) concluded in

their final report that neither tungsten nor arsenic had anything to do

with leukemia, " Chandler said.

" I don't think enough has come out that we can say that's all changed. "

, Kennametal plant manager in Fallon, said the recent

studies need to be validated.

" It's obvious to my mind that there's a lot more study that has to be

done, " he said. " Kennametal is trying to be alert to all those studies

and trying to understand them ... . We have to learn as we keep going

forward. "

Chandler and noted that two families who lost children to

leukemia are suing Kennametal and other local industries and the

litigation makes it difficult to respond to questions about the metal

and the environment. " The CDC study is the clearest thing we've seen, "

she said.

That study said investigators " did not find a spacial relationship

between the (tungsten plant's) emissions and the location of the

leukemia cases. "

" There's not these super-hazards like some people think there are, "

said. " We need to learn, we need to go forward but we also need

people to understand that it's a good place to live. "

Kennametal officials said not all scientists agree with the Arizona

scientists' conclusions in the air studies.

Ralph Seiler, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Carson

City, in February questioned Witten and Sheppard's interpretation of

their air study results. In a commentary in the journal Applied

Geochemistry, Seiler said the Arizona scientists failed to consider

sources of tungsten and cobalt other than the metals plant and didn't

collect enough data to support their conclusions.

Sheppard and the other authors answered with a 20-page explanation of

their research, repeating the conclusion that the metals plant area is

the " candidate source " of tungsten-cobalt dust they found in Fallon's

air. They noted that an electron microscope examination of a tungsten

particle from the test filters was consistent with " metal grindings " and

not natural tungsten ore.

" But, we welcome such questions, " Sheppard said. " The

commentary-response process can serve a useful purpose. Scientists are

not often in unanimous consent. There is a need for a civil discourse of

scientific opinion or facts. "

*

The material in this post is distributed without

profit to those who have expressed a prior interest

in receiving the included information for research

and educational purposes. For more information go to:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email

for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain

permission from the copyright owner.

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for posting.

Kate

>

> *Mouse study findings key in Fallon cancer cases, scientists say*

>

> X. Mullen (FMULLEN@...)

> RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

> April 27, 2006

> http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20060427/NEWS10/604270350/1016/NEWS

>

>

> FALLON -- Scientists who exposed pregnant mice to a combination of

> arsenic and tungsten said the metals resulted in genetic changes

in the

> offspring -- mutations related to development of leukemia and

brain cancer.

>

> Researchers said that's significant news for Fallon, a town

associated

> with a leukemia cluster of 17 children, three of whom have died.

> Previous testing has shown Fallon has large amounts of tungsten

and

> arsenic in its groundwater and tungsten particles in its air.

>

> The scientists said the mouse study's results need to be verified

with

> further gene tests, but said the preliminary findings give weight

to the

> theory that leukemia clusters in Fallon and in Sierra Vista,

Ariz.,

> might be related to environmental exposure to heavy metals.

>

> Floyd Sands, whose daughter, , 21, died of leukemia in

2001,

> said the study goes far beyond the work done by federal agencies

in

> Fallon several years ago. The agencies couldn't find any

environmental

> causes for the cluster.

>

> " Fortunately, real research is finally being done in Fallon, "

Sands

> said. " The independent scientists are getting somewhere. It's

because of

> these dedicated people, we still have hope an answer will be

found. "

>

> The 21 researchers, who presented findings at a biology conference

in

> San Francisco this month, concluded that " environmental metals

exposure,

> specifically arsenic and tungsten, probably does play a role in

the

> development of these childhood leukemia clusters. "

>

> Mark L. Witten, a University of Arizona research professor of

pediatrics

> and study co-author, said the mouse " pups " exhibited the gene

changes

> associated with leukemia and brain cancer, but it's unknown

whether the

> mice eventually would have developed either or both diseases.

>

> " Have we definitively said that tungsten-arsenic can cause

leukemia in a

> mouse? No, " he said. " We don't claim to say that. We're saying the

genes

> (have been changed) just like they are in humans who develop

leukemia or

> brain cancer. "

>

> But he said the effects of the tungsten-arsenic exposure on the

genes

> were so striking that " the odds of this being a random occurrence

are

> just mind-boggling. It's hard to think that it's not somehow

related to

> the leukemia cluster. "

>

> Previous studies by government scientists released in 2004 showed

high

> levels of the metal tungsten and arsenic in Fallon residents'

urine and

> water supplies. Since then, the town's new treatment plant has

filtered

> arsenic from the municipal water supply.

>

> Neither tungsten nor arsenic has been shown to cause leukemia, but

> scientists have linked tungsten to tumors in rats when the metal

is

> combined with cobalt.

>

> Tungsten is naturally occurring in Nevada, so scientists couldn't

tell

> if the source of the metal in Fallon was natural or industrial.

>

> But Witten and R. Sheppard, an assistant professor of

> dendrochronology, the science of dating events by looking at tree

rings,

> at the University of Arizona in Tucson, also did studies that

concluded

> Fallon has 13 times more tungsten in its dust than other Nevada

cities

> and towns tested, has high levels of the metal in tree rings and

that

> airborne concentrations of tungsten-cobalt decrease with distance

from a

> tungsten manufacturing facility in Fallon.

>

> Witten and Sheppard concluded that the pattern of airborne

tungsten and

> cobalt in the town suggests a single source for the two metals

with the

> " hard metals plant " -- the Kennametal manufacturing plant in

Fallon -- a

> likely source.

>

> Officials of Kennametal, which operates a tungsten refinery 10

miles

> north of Fallon and the tungsten-carbide plant in town, said their

> operations meet or exceed environmental regulations and have

nothing to

> do with the cancer cluster.

>

> Kennametal officials respond

>

> Joy Chandler, Kennametal spokeswoman, said it would be premature

for the

> company to comment on the mouse study based on the partial results

> released this month. She said the firm wants to see the full

report of

> the study once it is published in a scientific journal.

>

> " Of course, we are watching the studies everywhere in the world

that

> involve the material we work with, but we just keep going back to

the

> fact that the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

concluded in

> their final report that neither tungsten nor arsenic had anything

to do

> with leukemia, " Chandler said.

>

> " I don't think enough has come out that we can say that's all

changed. "

>

> , Kennametal plant manager in Fallon, said the recent

> studies need to be validated.

>

> " It's obvious to my mind that there's a lot more study that has to

be

> done, " he said. " Kennametal is trying to be alert to all those

studies

> and trying to understand them ... . We have to learn as we keep

going

> forward. "

>

> Chandler and noted that two families who lost children to

> leukemia are suing Kennametal and other local industries and the

> litigation makes it difficult to respond to questions about the

metal

> and the environment. " The CDC study is the clearest thing we've

seen, "

> she said.

>

> That study said investigators " did not find a spacial relationship

> between the (tungsten plant's) emissions and the location of the

> leukemia cases. "

>

> " There's not these super-hazards like some people think there

are, "

> said. " We need to learn, we need to go forward but we

also need

> people to understand that it's a good place to live. "

>

> Kennametal officials said not all scientists agree with the

Arizona

> scientists' conclusions in the air studies.

>

> Ralph Seiler, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey in

Carson

> City, in February questioned Witten and Sheppard's interpretation

of

> their air study results. In a commentary in the journal Applied

> Geochemistry, Seiler said the Arizona scientists failed to

consider

> sources of tungsten and cobalt other than the metals plant and

didn't

> collect enough data to support their conclusions.

>

> Sheppard and the other authors answered with a 20-page explanation

of

> their research, repeating the conclusion that the metals plant

area is

> the " candidate source " of tungsten-cobalt dust they found in

Fallon's

> air. They noted that an electron microscope examination of a

tungsten

> particle from the test filters was consistent with " metal

grindings " and

> not natural tungsten ore.

>

> " But, we welcome such questions, " Sheppard said. " The

> commentary-response process can serve a useful purpose. Scientists

are

> not often in unanimous consent. There is a need for a civil

discourse of

> scientific opinion or facts. "

>

> *

>

> The material in this post is distributed without

> profit to those who have expressed a prior interest

> in receiving the included information for research

> and educational purposes. For more information go to:

> http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

> http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm

> If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email

> for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain

> permission from the copyright owner.

>

>

>