Document NEgJDRBrLNdQqyN2EY25NvmKV

E TH YL CORPORATION lO O P A R K A V E N U E N E W Y O R K 17, N . Y. N o v e m b e r 1, 1962 To: M e ssr s. H. K. Ball H. J. Gibson D. M. Guy H .E . H esselb erg ' J. H . H uguet Li. L . H u xt ab le R . A . Ke h o e t.. M. P . M urdock W. R . P e r d u e F. P rin ci S. T . P ru itt R. K. Scales K. Sw artw ood M. A. Taylor B.B. Turn er F .P . W arne Gen tlem en : Th e attach ed is fo r you r in form ation . RH : JC HE 0009252- N9976 DEP ARTMENT OF H EALTH , EDUCATIO N, AND W ELFARE P U BLIC H E ALTH SE RVICE * W A S H I N G T O N 15 , D .C. Refer to: OCT 3 1 1962 M r. George F . Kirby Vice P r esid en t-O p er ation s Eth yl Corporation 100 P a r k Aven u e New Yor k 17, New Yor k . ' . D ear M r. Kirby: Th e st a ff of the D ivision of A ir P ollu tion , in con su ltation w ith th e D ivision of O ccu pation al H ealth , h ave review ed your le t te r of 18 O c t o b e r 1962, in r e g a r d t o t e t r a m e t h y l l e a d . F u r t h e r , t h e y h ave review ed the docu m en ts su bm itted by D r . Keh oe a s w ell as oth er in form ation relevan t to th is su b ject. Alth ough th e P u b lic H ealth Se r v ice does n ot h ave le gal au th ority r e gar d in g th e u se of su ch com poun ds in co m m e r ce , we ar e su bm ittin g th e follow in g statem en t to you a s r e p r e se n tin g ou r tech n ical review an d opin ion on th is su b ject : "T h e P u b lic H ealth Se r v ic e r e co gn ize s th at th e u se of an ti-kn ock com poun ds con tain in g le ad m ay p resen t a poten tial h azard to public h ealth , h ow ever, the Ser v ice b elieves th at existin g eviden ce d em on strates th at th is h azar d is m in im al. Alth ough the in d u stry took st e p s in 1959 to in c r e a se th e m axim u m p e r m issib le con cen tration of tetr aeth y l le ad in gaso lin e fr o m 3. 0 m l. to 4 .0 m l. p e r gallon , the total con cen tration p r e se n t in KE 0009253 the Un ited States gasolin e pool h as not in cr e ase d sign ifican tly. Fu r th er , stu d ies con ducted th us far an d kn ow n to u s h ave n ot sh ow n t e t r a m e t h y l le a d (TM L) to be sign ifican tly d ifferen t fr o m tetraeth yl lead (TEL) in so far as a ir pollution h azar d s or in d u str ial exp osu r es ar e con cern ed. T h er efor e, the P u blic H ealth Ser v ice does not believe th at in cr easin g TM L to the equivalen t le ad con ten t in gasolin e th at is now p e r m issib le , u n der in d u st r y p r ac t ic e , fo r T E L (4. 06 c c 's T E L p e r gallo n , or 4. 23 gr am s of le ad , equ ivalen t to 2. 74 c c 's of TM L) w ould con tribu te to a sign ifican tly gr e at e r h azar d . The Service su ggests th at the total lead content of gasolin e con tain in g eith er of th ese com pou n ds, or m ixtu r e s of th em , or r e lat e d com poun ds an d th eir m ix t u r e s, sh ou ld n ot e xce e d t h is t o t a l con ten t of le a d , i . e . , 4 . 23 g r a m s p er gallon . We fu rth er recom m en d th at con tin uous su r v e illan ce an d st u d ie s, su ch a s the p r o je c t s now bein g con ducted by the in d u stry, the Ser v ice and oth ers be c a r r ie d out w ith p e r io d ic r v alu atio n of th e situ atio n . " M y st aff w ill be p le ase d to d isc u ss th is m at t e r w ith you fu r t h e r , you so d e sir e . Sin cerely y ou rs, K ? 0009254