Document MGkN6GbanyDeVXov3y1nNj86k

I K b 0018561 Rii?OUT QV. ?His ICAL APPRAISAL OF lFURMACS Ci'iAivCiSR Se i i AISLS CO. COOK ST . FOUNDRY (Supplement to Reports of ^ December 1, 3352, and February 2^;? 1953 From the Kettering Laboratory in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Industrial Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 0018562 because of the his tor v of repo a tad attacks of "Brass chills'' and the finding of alovatad lead levels in the blood on Hovomber 11*., 1952. A thorough .radical history of the acuta episodes was consis tent with M brass chills" or metal fume fever, and was not. sugges tive of clinical lead poisoning* On physical examination there was no objective evidence of lead poisoning at that time. Labora tory examination, however, supported..the previous findings of a hazardous degree of lead absorption, and. further indicated that the response of the body to this accumulation of load was approach ing a critical state* Symptoms of frank load poisoning might have been expected as pointed out in our report of Lacomber 1, should load exposure continue unabated. Laboratory record sheet is attached. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended verbally . to Messrs* Vteddendorf and Wirt a on December 23 thr.t v-.iy man bo removed from his job as furnace charger and reassigned to work In a lead-free area of the plant until such time jus further ' examination would indicate that ho had excreted a substantial amount of, the lead then in his system* On re-exaralnation on February 11, 1953 it was found that . the blood lead level had decreased slightly, 'while the urine la ad level had increased* This suggests that the lead in the 0016563 amounts of lead. This evidence of incipient lead poisoning is further supported by the observation of a tremendously increased level of coproporphyrin in the urine, one of the highest levels that has been encountered in this Laboratory. Laboratory record sheet is attached. Lewis reports that he had suffered approximately eight acute episodes of ''brass chills", or metal fame fever, during the interval between examinations. The most recent had occurred on February 10, the evening before the last examination. While he has faithfully worn the recommended respirator while on trie job, it has' not been whol ly. effective in eliminating fume exposure. Total protection cannot be expected of this type of device, particularly in regard to the prevention of brass chills. However, the observed arrest of lead accumulation can be attributed to the use of the respirator. This seeming paradox is due to the fact that a strict quantitative relationship exists in the case of lead dust and fume, between the amount inhaled and the amount accumulated in the body. As you have undoubtedly observed, no such quantitative relationship exists in the case of zinc inhalation and brass chills. It is quite probable that Lewis can inhale enough zinc fume in five minutes, while he may remove the respirator for a short break, to give rise to an acute attack of brass chills. During the same short period, he would not be likely to absorb a significant amount of lead. . 0018564 Prom the Kettering Laboratory in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Industrial health, Colley of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio Report by: Jam e s ? . Hu gh e s , K.D . Approved: __________ _______ _______ Da te : Fe b ru ary 1 6 , ly 3 Dire ctor 0018565