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Wingham Advance-Times, 1981-09-09, Page 18�l+ Wingttam Advance•TIMes, Sei ptem 9$ i9$1 heart and b.j, Seases, for; yers of"a r dent since reductions Hila. ' eyed in deaths due 04 in heart attack, the ceding cause of death a, the decline has 41 per cent." i;xitinued by saying ;residents of Ontario Torsed the work of ;eart Foundation their continuous •aver the years and medical research Ra of heart disease „ r' ke will continue to lite the financial support If thefaundation. tl ei nclusiitn and on behalf of the Canadian Heart Fund, Ont lrin divsion, Mr. Crouse expressed "heartfelt" thanks to the thousands of volunteer workers and canva$sers in the province, for their tremendous support of the 1901 campaign. TESTING FORMALDEHYDE—John Fortier, a tech- nician at Western's Occupational Health and Safety Resource Centre, sets up a testing device in the kitchen of a London home to measure formaldehyde fumes from urea formaldehyde foam Insulation. Formaldehyde insulation is tested by Western U. Local homeowners con- cerned about urea for- maldehyde foam insulation have been turning to the Occupational Health and Safety Resource Centre at The University of Western Ontario, London, to de- termine if they have a potential health hazard. Centre staff have tested 110 homes in the, London area. Public concern over the insulation grew after the federal government banned further installation .of urea formaldehyde foam in December, 1980. Laboratory tests have indicated that fumes from the insulation can cause cancer in rats and allergic reactions . in some humans. An . estimated 100,000 homes across Canada, in- cluding 30,000 in Ontario, have the formaldehyde foam inatxlation. ' . Urea formaldehyde foam insulation 'is a " white or yellowish crumbly material with a" • spongy texture. Injected into the wall cavity in liquid form, it later ex- `pandsinto foam. "'Some Who have called the" centre with concerns about insulation have not had the formaldehyde type. Another common type of foam insul- ation, Called urethane, has caused no known problems. For $100, which covers costs, plus travel expenses outside of London, the centre will send a technician to test fir, formaldehyde fumes in the home. The three to four-hour test involves placing an air trapping device in the hone to monitor levels of for- maldehyde gas. The sample is taken back to the laboratory at Western and analyzed. About one-third of the 110 homes tested by the centre , have shown formaldehyde ' gas concentration levels greater than the .1 parts per million (ppm) level recommended as acceptable for the home environment by Health and Welfare Canada. The acceptable• level for the workplace is two ppm. The highest levels record- ed in theLondon homes were .5 ppm, but that finding was "very rare", according to Dr. Ben Cheung. The'homeowner receives a laboratory report on the test findings and the decision is left up to the homeowner about what to do, said Dr. Cheung. "We make '' no recommendations on whether .or notjthey should reiliove.the roan," Although this particular type offinsulation was banned as a suspected carcino en, Dr. Cheung said no definite test results have yet proven it causes cancer' in humans. The laboratory tests which produced cancer in rats involved, prolonged exposure to levels of six to 15 ppm, far in excess of the amounts found in the living space of homes containing • the in- sulation. Formaldehyde is a • common .perservative used in laboratories; yet a British study of, mortality risk comparisons between lab technicians and pathologists and the general public showed no, evidence of long- Huron ag. group: returns directors By Stephanie Levesque LONDESBORO — The Huron County Federation of Agriculture held its regional meeting Sept. 3, with all of last year's directors re- maining for another term: In Huron North east, the provincial director is Gerry Fortune, with Brian Jeffray, Mary Beth Mann and Jack Stafford as delegates. The alternate delegates are Doug Fortune and Bill Mann. In Huron North west, the provincial director is Merle Gunby with Jim Drennan, Walter Elliott, and Tony McQuail as delegates. In Huron East central, the provincial director is John Nesbitt with John Van Beers, Ralph DeWeerd, and Doug Gayness as delegates. In Huron West central, the provincial director is Jim McIntosh, with Larry Sturdy, Jack Tebbutt, and Stan Mcllwain as delegates. Alternate delegates are Jack MacGregor and Lyle Haney. In Huron South, the pro- vincial director is Andre Durand with delegates Al- bert Erb, Hugh Rundle and Ralph Geiger. In the out -going provincial directors' reports, Huron OFA members learned of the work the group has done in the past year. This work in- cludes discussions with government officials on the high interest rates on loans, and changes in OFA insur- ance. Mrs. Fortune praised the term health risk from • frequent exposure ..to for- maldehyde. It may be, however, that other factors, such as better lab ventilation and the ab- sence of constant exposure as in a living .environment, play a part in such findings, Dr. Cheung says. Scientists can't agree on the long-term effects of exposure to low level for- maldehyde gas. "Different people respond in different ways to for- maldehyde gas and that's one of the • problems in. determining an acceptable ,standard. I don't feel that people should panic over the situation unless , they're experiencing some adverse effects." Some people have eat- perienced allergic reactions to the fumes. Symptons can include headaches, rashes, breathing difficulties, in- somnia, sinus problems, and nose bleeding. Others suffer no apparent ill effects. "People should consult a doctor 'd make certain it is the foam that is the cause and not something else," Dr. Cheung advised. ' ' Removing the insulation is expensive. •Costs can run between $5,000 and $30,000, depending upon the com- plexity of the job.- ' Use of dehumidifiers; and better ventilation can help lessen the release of for - c maldehyde gas, according to Dr. Cheung. Homeowners who can wait for testing may be able to get free work done by" the Ontario or federal govern- ments. The federal govern- ment has announced plans to test 2,000 homes across Canada and 'the Ontario government plans to start its own testing program through the Ministry of Labor. Details of the programs have not yet been announced. work of the committee mem- bers for all they have done this past year. She told OFA members a letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, signed by thoseconcerned with agri- ' culture,' will be sent. The drafting of the letter came out of a meeting with the provincial directors from both Huron and Bruce counties. Mrs. Fortune added that Wellington County has expressed an interest to send a letter oT its own. The letter states, "The bankruptcies and forced sales' that have occurred, and those that will surely follow in the weeks to come, should be a good indication of what, or maybe more important, who, will grow the food needed for this country." "Farmers have been en- deavoring for one and a half years to tell you that there is a serious problem. It is now a major crisis." "Forty • per cent of the population is directly or in- directly employed by the agriculture industry. A large portion of our balance of payments is derived from agriculture," the letter states. The letter also asks if it would be pos9ible for primary food producers to make a living and requests immediate action to save what is left of the agricul- tural communis v Heart fund campaign exceedsgoal At the close df its fiscal year, the Ontario divsion of the Canadian Heart Fund had reached its $7 million campaign objective. The 1981 campaign, which was conducted during 'February in Ontario, ex- ceeded its goal by $156,206. Door-to-door canvassing, special events, corporate donations and the sale of "Roses for Research" all contributed to the final total of $7,156,206. Bequests and other sources of income combined with campaign receipts will allow the Ontario Heart Foundation to allocate $8.9 million to heart disease and stroke research in Ontario for 1982-83. In presenting his _final report, Frank N. Crouse, the 1981 Canadian Heart Fund chairman, said, "The residents in the province of Ontario can he proud of their substantial contributions to the crusade against heart disease and stroke. "Evidence to date that research has paid off is in the fact that the overall death The family of an arthritis patient is very important. The more interest family members have about the problems of arthritis and how to manage the disease, the more ,successful treat- ment will be. The patient, the family and the physician constitute the team which administers and adjusts the program required to n)anage arthritis. Others such as physiotherapists, may be in- volved but only at the re- quest of the doctor. fit COME IN AND .SEE.OUR COMPI,h'l'E SELECTION OF . " INYITATIQNS .• .4NNOUNCRMENTS • INFORM44S' • ACCE$SORIES Your choice of variates paper stocks, type styles and sizes. ask for .. . Select your wedding invitations, announcements and accessories with complete confidence as to quality and correctness of form. t4 WE ALSO HAVE PERSONALIZED WEDDING NAPKINS, MATCHES' AND CAKE BOXES During the eighties, Ontario is going to need more electrical transmission lines, to get the electricity Ontario Hydro makes to the places where the power is used. We would like your help and suggestions now, in an early study of alternative plans for future transmission lines in southwestern Ontario. The transmission study will look at the alternatives from many points of view, including cost, wise use of land, and effects on the environment. The study is an early stage of a process which will take about three years. It will lead first to a recommendation to government on the best transmission option. Eventually, new transmission lines will be built. Because we need your input now, we've prepared a special kit for you that outlines th alternatives. You're also invited to attend a "Study Information Centre' -` This is your opportunity to ask question make comments and suggestions, firs'f, Let's blk r•• Let's talk tran-•-'!'ila-1"1"." ..... smission d,3 OX 2133- TORONTO—M5W 11711-=' :.. ... ' i0 t 1 ,Please send me an infgrrzlatirin kit: a A• • 111111 r.