Document 65ea986XQV8Qowb64NJoRGVz3

<1 Columbus, Ohio Dear Sir: 3/30/36 Ij am a graduate student of Ohio State University working in. the department of Hort iculture. ; Qn 1'ay 7th I am to make a radio talk on the present status of the spray residue p r oblem.especially on apples. This,talk is given in connection with our fruit school -of the nir. ! ,1 1936 have been informed that much work ' . has been carried out on spray residue at the "* Iledi.cal Co liege of Cincinnati. I would like, if possibl e, to have some accurate and reliable inf orma.ti*':n, concerning tne seriousness of spray residue wi th regard to the consumers1 health and just h ow tne health is affected, Te do not want to mi sinform either the growers or tne ^ . consumers as to th seriousness of spra^- residue growers ar e reluctant to installing washing equipment tnus our information must be based on fact not tneories, addressed Ineinnati as this with the absorption 1 have not . Idue problem lead intake of acise studies ive no results Any information will be greatly apprec- ;ion* However, xatca. Sincerely yours, status of this 3 literature .(P Oy (Iki/ fion* ; problem point out 1 the Depart-* ssible quan- or In food for lead is about 2-1/2 p*pm* and that for arsenic is about 1 p.p.m. Any fruits or vegetables which are found by the agent of this department to be in excess of these tolerances in in terstate commerce are condemned and destroyed* As to the tolerances themselves, they have been established as a result of the judgement of a group of experts who have definite oplonions on this subject* Undoubtedly the best judgement of these men has been exercised in establishing the tolerances* Unfortunately, however, there is no present sound scientific basis for these tolerances* Judgement has been arrived at on the basis of indirect observations and on the basis of analogies from animal observations* We do not know precisely whether the tolerances should be lower than they are or whether they might with safety be considerably higher* On the other hand it is quite well known that many fruits, and particularly apples, as they are picked from the trees h a w on their surfaces quantities of lead and arsenic very much in excess of the tolerance* The quantities may be eight or ton times more than the tolerance permits* This means, of course, that there these materials ar destined for N6235