Document 8nzdy99VEYv1XGe2MzLRga1k

A p r il 15, 19j^ l / Mr * L* E . Acker m an A s s is t a n t P u r c h a s in g Age n t Ke y s t o n e S t e e l an d W ir e Company Pe or ia I llin o is De a r Mr# Acker m ans A few d a ys a go I saw one o f t h e r e p r e s e n t a t iv e s o f t h e Ch ica g o o f f i c e o f E t h y l.' Ga s o lin e Co r p o r a t io n who show ed me y o u r two l e t t e r s d a t e d Ja n u a r y 2 0 t h and Mar ch 15th. r e s p e c t iv e ly * in w hich you asked fo r In fo r m a t io n co n ce r n in g t h e p o s s ib le dangers o f exposure t o th e exh au st gas of in t e r n a l co m b u s t io n e n g in e s o p e r a t in g On le a d e d g a s o l i n e . In view o f t h e ch a r a c t e r o f th e q u e s t io n , I s u gge s t e d t h a t h e le a v e t h e m a t t e r in my h a n d s t o w r it e t o you d ir e c t ly . Perhaps I sh ou ld e xp la in t h a t in a d d itio n , to b e in g the D ir e ct o r o f t h is la b o r a t o r y , w hich has been concerned w ith th e in v e s t ig a t io n o f th e h ygie n ic p r ob lem s a r is in g fr om t h e use end d is t r ib u t io n o f le a d e d g a s o lin e , as w e ll a s a number o f o t h e r p r oblem s in in d u s t r ia l and p u b lic h e a lt h * I am a ls o th e Ch ie f Me d ica l Ad viso r of th e E t h y l Ga s o lin e Co r p o r a t io n . T h is a c c o u n t s f o r my o f f e r i n g t o r e p ly t o yo u r l e t t e r s . There is adequate evid en ce t o in d ic a t e t h a t t h e le a d e xp o su r e in v o lv e d in con n e ctio n w ith th e o p e r a tio n o f g a s o lin e m otors u s in g le a d e d g a s o lin e * i s an i n s i g n i f i c a n t o n e * Numerous s t u d ie s have been made, n ot o n ly o f th e n atu r e o f the e xh a u s t g a s , b u t a ls o on p e r so n s who h a ve h ad t h e m ost p r olon ge d and s e r io u s exp osu r e over lo n g p e r io d s o f tim e* I am s e n d in g you h e r e w it h an a r t i c l e d e s c r ib in g o b s e r va tio n s made in t h is fie ld * and r e fe r r in g to o th e r p u b lic a t io n s on t h is same s u b je c t . From t h is a r t i c l e you w ill see t h a t no s ig n ific a n t exp osu r e t o le a d has b een e xp e r ie n ce d * even b y t h o s e who h ave had t h e g r e a t e s t o p p o r tu n itie s fo r exposure ove r the lo n ge s t p e r io d s o f t im e . P r a c t i c a l l y s p e a k in g * t h e r e fo r e * we h a v e b e e n u n a b le to fin d an y e vid e n ce t h a t p er son s exp osed to e xh a u st ga se s ar e r u n n in g any r is k s in so fa r as t h e ir exposure to le a d is con cer n ed . One may w e ll a s k why t h i s i s the case* sin ce th er e is no doubt about th e e xiste n ce o f le a d com poun ds in t h e e xh a u s t g a s . F i r s t * l e t me HE 0011812 2 *" p o in t ou t t h a t t h e e xh a u s t g a s e s fr om an in t e r n a l com bustion e n gin e b u r n in g g a s o lin e as a fu e l , con t a in v e r y la r g e q u a n t it ie s o f car b on m onoxide* Th is is an a cu t e ly t o xic m a te r ia l an d , t h e r e fo r e , i t must be d isp o se d o f a t le a s t to such an e xte n t as w ill e n a b le p e op le in th e v i c i n i t y to avoid , s e r io u s con se q u e n ce s * The e xh a u s t ga s may c o n t a in a s much as s e ve n per ce n t o f car bon m on oxid e, t u t is n ot p o s s ib le fo r : persons to endure exposure to co n ce n tr a tio n s gr e a te r t h a n C.0 j5 p e r c e n t f o r m or e t h a n s h o r t p e r io d s . Accor d* i n g l y t h e r e m u st b e t h i s much d i l u t i o n o f t h e e xh a u s t g s 3 bo p e r m it oven r e r -io n a b le s a fe t y * I f t h is is d on e, t h e le a d compounds in t h e e xh a u s t ga s a r e so d ilu t e d a s to be in s ig n ific a n t in t h e ir e ffe c t s . Th u s, so lo n g as p e o p le a r e s a fo fr om undue e xp o s u r e t o ca r b o n m o n o xid e , t h e y 'o i l ] s u ff e r no i l l e f fe c t s fr o m le a d a b s o r p t io n . An o t h e r p o in t in t h e fa c t o r o f s a fe t y i s t h a t t h e le a d w hich a p p e a r s in th e e xh a u s t gas is o n ly a p o r t io n o f t h a t b ie n was in the g a s o lin e * s in ce co n s id e r a b le q u a n t it ie s o f the le a d are d ep osited w ith in the. exh au st s y s t e m o f t h e a u t o m o b ile * Un d er o r d in a r y c o n d it io n s t h i s may b e a s much a s S8 v e n t y < *fiv e p e r c e n t o f t h e a v a ila b le le a d . S t i l l an other p o in t Is t h a t th e le a d in th e exh au st ga s is so fin e ly d iv id e d t h a t i t behaves e s s e n t ia lly as a ge s , and c o t o n ly is i t o r d in a r ily .d ilu t e d fcy t h e a i r c u r r e n t s , b u t i t a l s o ban d s t o b e h a ve as a ga s in th e lu n gs and n o t to be d e p o s it e d to th e same e x t e n t as w ould o ilie r p a r t ic u la t e le a d com pounds, s u ch as lead d u s t s . A ll in a l l , q u it e e x t e n s iv e o b s e r v a t io n s h a ve b e e n mad in t h e s t u d y o f t h is p r o b le m o v e r a p e r io d o f y e a r s , n o t o n ly b y .o u r s e lv e s , b u t fcy o t h e r s , in c lu d in g such governm ental a ge n cie s as the Un ited St a t e s P u b lic H e a lt h Se r v ic e , th e Un ite d St a t e s Bur eau o f Min e s, and th e B r i t i s h M in is t r y o f H e a lt h , Ho one h a s fo u n d a n y e v id e n ce o f an y d a n ge r t o t h e p u b lic or t o t h e more s e r io u s ly e xp osed p e r s o n s , su ch a s em p loyees o f t h e typ e o f yo u r own. I t h in k i t is f a i r to a s s u r e yo u , t h e r e fo r e , t h a t you need a n t ic ip a t e no d i ffi c u lt i e s in t h is co n n e ctio n * I t may b e t h a t you w i ll h ave some a d d it io n a l q u e s t io n s on t h is s u b je c t * I f 3 0 , I s h o u ld be g la d i f you w ou ld l e t rae have t h e m , an d I s h a l l do my b e s t t o an sw e r them* Ve r y t r u l y y o u r s , RAKj is Ro b e r t A. Ke h o e , it.D