Document NEL0D0pMdV0G6rgpKbzOxo60E

Be l l t e l e p h o n e La b o r a t o r ie s INCORPORATED Mu r r a y Hil l , Ne w Je r s e y 07971 Te l e p h o n e Ar e a c o d e 201 5 82-3000 August 13, 1965 DR. R. A. KEHOE Kettering Laboratory College of Medicine Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Dr. Kehoe: In looking over the very interesting article "Toxicology and the Biomedical Sciences" by B.B. Brodie, G.J. Cosmides and D.P. Rail, appearing in the 18 June 1965 issue of SCIENCE, I find the following statement tucked back in the reference section of the article: 27. It is known that some substances in our environment, for example, 2-naphthylamine and tetraethyl lead are converted to carcinogenic compounds. Certain substances in cigarettes and smog may be harmless by themselves,-hut may cause cancer through conver sion in the body tb carcinogens. Other drugs that induce drug-metabolizing enzymes might increase this hazard. ( This is the first time I remember reading, as a flatly undisputed fact, that tetraethyl lead is converted to a carcinogenic compound. If you have any thoughts on this,' I would be glad to hear from you, or perhaps a better alternative would be for you to comment either to the editor of SCIENCE or to the authors themselves. Hope you are enjoying your well earned retirement. Best personal regards MH-8l35-GMW-rp G. mTw ILKENING Head Industrial Hygiene & Safety Administration Department