Document 7Mq0NEyr4J7ek77QMrmqw4yka

The cover runners. Dear Sir; To my husband's and my surprise, we are the runners on the December 1978 cover of ES& T. Amber & Anthony Reynoso lone, Calif. 95640 Man's lead hurden Dear Sir: I was pleased to read the aspects of Integrated exposure assess ment monitoring (ES&T, January 1979, p 34). In order to set standards for drinking water contaminants, the total exposure from air, food and water should be taken into consideration. A simplified approach far arrivingat lead limits in drinking water is presented in Figure 1. Such limits are variable, as it should be, depending on lead intake from food and air. In making the computations (applicable to adults only), the following assumptions have been made: Maximum no-observedadverse-health-effect; Daily inspiration volume: Daily intake of water; Lead absorption from food: Lead absorption from water: Lead absorption from air: 60 jug/d 20 mg3 2L lp% 10% 40% FIGURE 1 600 8 sootX' **, c ft' 8. 400 -,.4` 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.250.30 Allowable concentration in water, mg/l ft can be seen that in urban areas (for example air lead 1 /tg/m3), and with a daily lead intake from food of 430 pg (WHO's maximum tolerable daily intake), the allowable concen tration of lead in drinking water should not exceed 0.05 mg/L. However, if for the same concentration of air lead, the daily lead intake from food is 300 jag only, then the allowable concentration of lead in drinking water could be in creased to 0.11 mg/L. Such compu tation demonstrates that the WHO standard of 0.1 mg/L for lead in drinking water and the U.S. standard of 0.05 mg/L are in fact not conflict ing, each pne being appropriate under different exposure conditions. Another example: in highly urban ized areas (3 ju/m3), at .an average in take of lead from food of 300 pg/dzy, the level of lead in drinking water should not exceed 0.03 mg/L. If the intake from food is 400 instead of 300 jug/day then the "safe" limit of 60 fig/day has already been exceeded and no lead should be allowed in the drinking water. Such graphs could be constructed fora variety ofcontaminants provided certain metabolic and toxicological factors are known. They would serve to make "allocations" for the various routes of exposure as well as adopt standards that are appropriate to spe cific situations. Hend Gatal-Gorchev 1206 Geneva, Switzerland Pesticides Dear Sir: In the December 1978 issue of ES& T there is a letter on pesticides., The authors make a mathematically and grammatically meaningless statement.., "the mirex (and other OC) levels in Lake Ontario Caspian Tern eggs are 4 to 6 times lower than in Herring Gull eggs.. Perhaps they mean "... are one fourth to One sixth of that in Herring Gull eggs .,. I notice an increasing trend in North American literature for confusion with this type of usage (as well as between, for example, "eight times higher than" and the synonymous "nine times"). I hope that ES&T will prevent such future errors by careful editing and set an example for other publications, Kenneth A. Hooton Tcmpc, Ariz. 85283 January editorial Dear Sir: I have been reading your January 1979 issue, and as usual (see letter, ES&T, May 1974, p 392) en joyed it, as I do every issue. However, I would like to express in word, humble as my opinion is, that your Guest Edi tor, Dr. James P. Lodge, really touched on something that would and could, if accepted, turn the tide of history in this old world from its present deplorable state. Authorities everywhere, searching for some solution to their many prob lems, are disregarding the "Whole Man." I n the eyes of the world science is esteemed, but on its own it has not proved wholly successful. Christianity, presenting only the spiritual side, is beyond man's natural understanding; but when the two are brought to gether--Science and Theology--as so wonderfully explained by Dr. Lodge, and the "Whole Man" in his entirety is considered, regardless of the sphere, a successful solution must be the result. We are body, we are intellect and we arc spirit, and should he considered as such' , I appreciate your journal as a "Leader" and I am grateful for this article and trust that your publication, which reaches even Rhodesia still, will help us toward peace to humanity. Rosaleen Kerr Salisbury, Rhodesia Corrections April 1979, p 416. The date of the Consent Decree is incorrectly reported. The correct date is June 7, 1976. * April 1979, p 421. There is a mispclled word in the color type ma terial. The correct wording is: An au tomated software program completely identified the presence or absence of the organic priority pollutants and quantifies them within minutes. Volume 13. Number 5, May 1979 503