Document LJGzxKYZMv0DeBxgeX9jb4Odg

March 8 , 1940 Mr* W# H a rris o n S h e ll 011 Company San F rancisco C alifornia D ear Mr* H a r r i so n t Your l e t t e r o f F ebruary 28th addressed to th e E Jayl G asoline C orporation, concerning the u n d esira b le e f f e c ts o f the p o llu tio n o f the atmosphere by e x h a u s t g a se s c o n ta in in g l e a d , was f e f e r r e d to mo by Hew York and came to my desk on March 7 th* I h a s te n to re p ly . The problem which has been r a is e d by your co rresp o n d en t i s n o t a new one of course* I t was r a is e d many y e a rs ago by th e te c h n ic a l s t a f f o f E thyl G asoline C orporation and o f i t s predecessor the G en e ra l M otors Chem ical Company* The i n v e s t i g a t i o n s begun in 1923 by th e U nited S ta te s Bureau o f Mines had as th e ir purpose the determ ination o f the degree o f hazard to th e p ublic which m ight a ris e from th is source o f a i r p o llu tio n * These s tu d ie s were c a r r ie d on f o r s e v e r a l y e a rs and w ere made t h e s u b je c t o f a v e r y com p reh en siv e re p o r t, th e d e ta ils o f which can be su p plied to you by the sim ple sta te m e n t th a t no ev idence was found th a t the lead content o f th e exhaust gas co n stitu ted any h azard to th e p u b lic h e a lth * T his work n a tu r a lly was done on e x p e rim e n ta l a n im a ls . O th e r work o f more o r l e s s com p arab le type has been c a rrie d on from tim e to tin e over a p e r io d o f y e a r s w ith c o rre s p o n d in g r e s u l t s * I and my a s s o c ia te s c a r r ie d o u t th e f i r s t f i e l d i n v e s t i g a t i o n s among garage m echanics and f i l l i n g s ta tio n employees in 1924 and 1925, m aking d e t a i l e d co m p a riso n b etw e en su ch men who came in c o n ta c t w ith le a d e d g a s o lin e , and c o rre sp o n d in g men w ith no such exposure* Somewhat more com prehensive o b s e rv a tio n s o f t h i s same ty p e were re p e a te d a t p u b lic expense by the U nited S ta te s P u b lic H ealth S erv ice in 1925, th e ir work being under th e d ire c tio n of a com aittee of seven d istin g u ish ed American s c ie n tis ts * In 1928 co rresp o n d in g o b se rv a tio n s were made in Ehgland by th e B r itis h M in is try o f H e a lth , and o th e r o b s e r v a tio n s w ere made in F ra n ce and in Denmark* Over t h i s whole p e rio d of tim e , s tu d ie s were b ein g c a rrie d o u t of a ra th e r comprehensive n atu re in th is la b o ra to ry w hich, I b e lie v e , KB 0012180 s - 2- i t i s faix* t o s a y I s now r e c o g n is e d a s one o f th e m o st r e lia b le sources of g en eral inform ation on th e su b ject o f le a d p o is o n in g in t h e U n ite d S ta te s -T he expense o f t h i s work, o f course was borne by E th y l G asoline C o rp o ratio n , and f o r a tim e th e r e w ere p e o p le who b e lie v e d on t h a t a c c o u n t o u r woxfc c o u ld n o t b e r e g a r d e d a s u n b iased Z b e l i e v e t h a t id e a h a s l a r g e l y d is a p p e a re d among w o rk ers i n t h i s f i e l d and among o u r s c l e n t i f l o c o lle a g u e s in g e n e ra l In t h i s c o n n e c tio n i t may i n t e r e s t you to know t h a t we a re c o n s u lte d w ith r e f e r e n c e to th e problem o f le a d p o iso n in g by th e Ohio i n d u s t r i a l Commission, and t h a t we h av e b e e n ask ed t o t e s t i f y b y th e Pure Pood and Drugs Department o f th e Departm ent of A g ricu ltu re in c e rta in c o n tro v e rsia l Cassa I m ention th ese m a tte rs only because I think i t is necessary t6 e sta b lish the in te g rity of our work as a so u rce o f u n b ia sed in fo rm atio n * In the course of the y ears, we have exam ined s e v e r a l h u n d red g a ra g e m ech an ics in v a r io u s p a rts o f th e U nited S ta te s , a corresponding number o f f i l l i n g s ta tio n a tte n d a n ts and a co n sid erab le number of re fin e ry handlers of gasoline* In so f a r as the exhaust gas problem i s c o n c e rn e d , we h av e co n c lu d ed a s a conseq u ence o f r a t h e r w ide e x p e rie n c e th e s e a r e th e p a r s o n s who a r e m ost exposed to exhaust gases fo r th e longest period of tin e per day and over a perio d of y e a rs, as w ell as to th e h ig h est c o n c e n tr a tio n s * In d eed I t i s o u r common know ledge t h a t a f a i r percentage o f th ese garage m echanics are s u f fic ie n tly exposed to exhaust gas to have evening headaches f a ir ly fre q u e n tly , and alm ost r e g u la rly In the w in te r months in c o ld a re a s o f th e country* C e r ta in ly th e s e men have had th e maximal o p p o rtu n ity to absorb lead from th is source* In th e c o u rs e o f o u r s t u d i e s , we have exam ined a c o n s id e r a b le number o f th e s e men who h ave b e e n w o rk in g on c a r s u s in g lead ed g a s o lin e e x c lu s iv e ly s in c e 1924* These men undoubtedly rep rese n t th e most se rio u s exposure to th is p a rtic u la r s itu a tio n i n 'a n y p a r t o f t h e w orld* W h av e been c o n c e rn e d , o f c o u rs e , w ith an a tte m p t to d e te rm in e w h eth er th e s e men had shown any i l l n e s s o r i n ju r y as a consequence o f t h e i r w ork. Prom a s t r i o t l y 8 0 ie n tIfIo p o in t of view , however, th is is not the most im portant asp ect o f th e problem , and fo r th a t reaso n we h ave so u g h t c h i e f l y to d e te rm in e w h eth e r th e y h a d been absorbing measureab le q u a n titie s o f lead as a consequence of th e ir ooaupation To sum m arize b r i e f l y a l l o f th e ex p erim en tal work w hich has been done by governm ental agencies and o u rs e lv e s , i t i s f a i r to say th a t no one h as been hble to discover the s lig h te s t evidence th a t the in h a l a ti o n o f le a d by way o f th e e x h a u st g as o f au to m o b iles I s in any way dangerous o r h arm fu l to anyone* I can p ro v id e you w ith th e docum entary evidence in su p p o rt o f th is sta tem en t KHT 0 012 16 -- (3 - in th e fo ra of governmental, re p o rts o f th is country, G reat .B ritain , and Denmark* X c a n a l s o su p p ly you w ith o u r pub lis h e d work in t h i s f ie ld * I sh o u ld bo g la d t o do t h i s i f you c o n s id e r i t n e c e ssa ry * , On t h e o th e r hand i t a l l b o l l s down to th e sim p le f a c t t h a t t h i s d an g e r was c o n s id e re d worthy of exceedingly c a re fu l in v estig atio n * , and th a t a l l of the in v e stig a tio n s have fa ile d , com pletely to dem onstrate th e ex isten ce o f even th e s lig h te s t danger* C e r ta in p e rs o n s Who o r i g i n a l l y put them selves on reco rd as b e lie v in g th a t th is c o n s titu te d a se rio u s d an g er, have been lo a th e to admit p u b lic ly th a t th ey were wrong* C e rta in o th e r p e rs o n s who, p e rh a p s , have something o f an ax to g rin d , have kept a liv e the issu e o f danger and have t r i e d to aro u se f e a r in the community on t h i s sco re* One o f th e m ost p o t e n t a g e n c ie s i n t h i s d i r e c t i o n h a s b een th e Consumer *s R e se a rc h I n c o r p o r a te d , an d I h av e no doubt t h a t t h a t i s th e s o u rc e o f th e in q u ir y w hich has come to you* T h is a g e n c y , w hich ca n s c a r c e l y be r e g a rd e d as com p le te ly unbiased, has continued to ra is e th is issue in th e ir p u b lic a tio n s and has attem pted to warn th e consumers of g a s o lin e a g a in s t th e u se o f g a s o lin e c o n ta in in g le a d on th e score th a t th is c o n s titu te d a means of in c re a sin g the lead exposure o f th e community. I t would b e sometahat s tra n g e I f t h i s g ro u p , who have n e v e r made any i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n t h i s f i e l d , were in p o s itio n to e x p re ss a wisdom f a r s u p e rio r to th a t of th e U nited S tateaP u b lic H ealth S erv ice, the United S ta te s Bureau of Mines and o u rselv es* N ev erth eless I have co n sid ered I t wise to make m ention o f th i s group as th e pro b ab le o r ig in of pour c o rre s p o n d e n ts p o in t o f view* I b e lie v e you w ill have very l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y dai t h i s s c o re and I t h i n k you w i l l h e a r v ery l i t t l e about i t among your cu sto m ers* G e n e ra lly sp eak in g , th e p o in t o f view o f te c h n ic a l and m edical people i s t h a t t h i s problem w hich was c o n tr o v e r s ia l i n 1926 I s no longer in th a t category* I t is q u ite g en erally accepted th a t th e P u b lic H ealth S e rv ic e was u n b iased and com petent In th e ir in v e s tig a tio n , and th a t th is problem has been answered* Meanwhile you may b e f u r th e r in te r e s te d in knowing t h a t we a r e c a r r y in g on f u r t h e r i n v e s t i g a t i o n s s i n c e , i n our o p in io n , i t I s w ise to know a t a l l tim es th e e x te n t to w hich the atm osphere o f c i t i e s la p o llu te d by exhaust gases* I may say in th is connection, however, th at th e q u estion o f exposure to carbon monoxide i s r e l a t i v e l y more im portant from th e h y g ie n ic p o in t o f view th an th e q u e stio n of le a d exposure. The re a s o n f o r t h i s i s t h a t carbon monoxide i s ta k en up v ery r e a d ily by th e human body, and t h a t i t boo# ^7 re a so n of c e r t a i n unusual p h y sio lo g ic p ro c e s se s, tends to accum ulate in th e body* That i s to sa y , carbon monoxide even in low c o n c e n tra tio n s is taken up alm ost q u a n tita tiv e ly by th e blood so th a t i t s K T 0 G12 16 <G - .4 poisonous p ro p e rtie s can be expressed In term s o f a given c o n c e n tra tio n of oarbon monoxide tim es th e d u ra tio n o f the exposure in hours* A utom obiles g iv e o u t carbon monoxide in co n cen tratio n s of from 5 to 7 per cent* whereas the h ig h e s t en d u rab le c o n c e n tra tio n w ith s a f e ty la somewhat under *03 p e r cent* I t th u s happens th a t i f exhaust gas from autom obiles i s d ilu te d enough to m ain tain the carbon monoxide w ith in even m o d erately sa fe lim its * th e le a d c o n c e n tra tio n would be so g r e a tly reduced a s to be in s ig n if ic a n t, from a h y g ie n ic p o in t o f view* There i s a fu rth e r f a c t th a t in d iv id u a ls in th e U nited S ta te s and in a l l other countries th a t have been stu d ied , take in re g u la rly sm all q u a n titie s o f le a d wi th th e ir food* At le a s t h a lf of th is Is the re s u lt o f th e n a tu ra l occurrence o f le a d i n s o i l * w a te r , v e g e ta t io n and a n im a l tis s u e * Th r e s t o f i t cones from sm all s o u rc e s o f c o n ta m in a tio n which, a re u n av o id ab le in la r g e m easure* The r e s u l t la th a t an adult takes in on the average of a th ird of a m illigram of le a d p e r day i n h i s food* As a co n seq u en ce o f t h i s f a c t , th e m inute q u a n tity o f lead which is p re se n t In th e a i r t h a t we b r e a t h e , i s to o sm a ll t o be d em o n strate d * T hat i s to sa y , i t makes such a sm all c o n trib u tio n to th e t o t a l u n av o id ab le le a d in ta k e o f modern man as to b e w ith in th e lim it o f experim ental e rro r o f our o b serv atio n s on the t o t a l le a d in ta k e and t o t a l le a d o u tp u t in th e human being* I b e lie v e th is w ill answer the question ra ise d in your le tte r , I f , as I have said above, you r e q u ir e docum entary evidence In p ro o f o f the c o rre c tn e s s o f th e s e s ta te m e n ts , I s h a l l be g la d to su p p ly them to you* Very tru ly :?ours, RAKtlS R o b e rt A* JCehoe, HE 0012163