Document 6r9ox7Xo1G9mD3KjGqEnyeN4
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REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
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tg if; Deoanter 2D, 1922*
Mr. F . S . DuPont, Chairman, Board, . I . DuPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware.
Dear S ir :
* -i:ifieS'- :
A rep resen tative of th is Service who was detailed to attend a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in Sew York, has reported to the Bureau upon the proposed use o f lea* te tr a ethyl in connection with fu els for gasoline engines, whioh
su bject was discussed at the m eeting, and i t appears* that the
DuPont de Nemours Company was interested in the development and commercial introdu ction o f th is substance.
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Inasmuch as i t i s understood that whan employed in gas o li ne engines, th is substance w i l l adu a f i n e l y divided and nond i f f u s i b l e form of lead to the exnaust gases, and furthermore, since lead poisoning in human beings is of the cumulative type re s u l t i n g fr eq u en tl y from the d a i l y intake of minute q u S f it it ie s , i t
seems pe rtinent to inquire whether there migit not be a decided health hazard associated with the extensive use of lead tetra ethyl in engines.
B e l i e v i n g tnat th i s phase of the question must have re ceived a t t e n t i o n from tnose interested in the p r o j e c t , I an writing to inquire whether your company has c o ll e c t e d any experimental or other data bearing- upon the danger of lead poisoning from t h i s source.
Very truly yours,
(SIGNED) E. S . CU111ING, Surgeon General.
KJDB