Document KGaGVe73vbKKdRKZ4jXX3xd6

November 25, 1947 MI-. Hussell Frank, Director, Safety and Personnel, ' 'The Enamel/et.Publishing Company, 4.1'5'j East 56th Street-, Cleveland 5, Ohio. Dear Mr. I rank: I have your letter of No vemoer 18 concerning information on the general problem of lead absorption. I think it is fair to say that the best and most recent comprehensive consideration of this problem, as 11 appears in the Eng lish language, will be found in a report is s ue d by the American p ublic Health Association in lp4p. This is a bul letin entitled "Occ upational Lead Exposure an a Lead Poisoning" and i 3 a report prepared by the Committee on Lead oisoning of the Industrial Hygiene 3 C L1 on cf the American Public .on of vhiich I had the honor to be chairman. It can be obtained at CCS t ot 75 cents :er cop y from the Office of the Association, 179o Broad nay. Hew York Git; 19. there VIth specific reference to the absorption of lead silicate,/is not toe much in the way of new or useful information. It seems quite clear, from theoretical considerations, that lead silicate is a much less hazardous lead compound than many others. Indeed in some Instances Indus trial concerns have been advised to use a silicate In preference to other more soluble lead compounds. On the other hand, I have no doubt that if industrial -workmen were exposed to lead silicate distributed into the atmosphere In sufficiently finely divided state and in sufficient dosage, cases of lead poisoning would develop among them. Undoubtedly some absorption would take place, and if the dosage were sufficient, such absorption could reach dangerous proportions, if exposure occurred over a sufficient period of time. It so happens that we have had no opportunity to measure the extent of human lead absorption, under known conditions of exposure to lead silicate. Consequently I-cannot give you any better opinion than that expressed above* The experimental work required to evaluate this particular compound, in relation to other lead com pounds would be extensive and costly. So far as I know, it has not been done. Indeed, there ar-e very few experimental data or data obtained from specific industries , that would enable us to compare specific compounds with each other under the conditions of industrial exposure. I dare say that we in this Laboratory have some of the best data available anywhere on this subject. Nevertheless it would be quite impossible to deal with this problem in any more than general terms at present. From the practical viewpoint the thing that Is of greatest importance Mr. Russell Frank - (2) - November 25* 1947 in the ceramic industry is the use of lead compounds, and particularly lead silicate*in a form that is not so finely divided as to give rise to dusts that remain suspended in the air breathed by workmen. If the use of such dust;/ material.can be avoided, the control of the lead exposure is fairly readily achieved. Very truly yours , i-AK ef Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. HE 0015689