Document NG399qzBya9RmOZJx148eQjLR

December 15, 1970 Dr. Mappes Der Staatliche Gewsrbeariat Marienplats 2, 'test Germany Dear Doctor Mappes; I am not aware of the -action, or as a matter of fact, any action, taken at i,he Conference in Amsterdam to set any standards for lead workers. Indeed, at this Conference, a series of views were expressed by a variety of observers, and several of the men who had agreed to the article to which you refer in the "statement" published in the British Medical Journal, including Ronald Lane and myself, were present. So far as I know, this Conference had no authority to set any standard. The International Association may issue some statement later, but 1 should say that it is not likely to go overboard in doing so. If you have knowledge to the contrary, 1*11 be pleased to have your citation of some publication to that effect. I was certainly not aware that the Conference in Amsterdam advanced any very radical ideas. It was a pleasure to be there anti to hear the views and discussidns of a variety of persona. As a matter of fact, I am very near to completing the papers of that Conference for publication in the (AMA) Archives of Environmental Health, and I have seen no such recommendation as you describe. Indeed, a whole series of personal recommendations are set down, with little comment, in the paper of Dr. Jiielhuis. You may be sure that I shall not fail to "stand up" for the Statement as Issued. There is, admittedly, a bit of neurosis over the matter of lead in the environ ment of man at present. I was not aware that it had been extended into the occupational field. I would welcome a bit more concern about the standards to be set and actually employed, in the United States, for we have much too much lead poisoning in American industry in a number of our States. As you may know, the individual State is responsible for governmental action in the industry within that State, and in some Instances, there are no standards to be enforced, even if there were mechanisms of direct enforcement. Z shall be glad to hear further from you as to the situation in Germany. Cordially yours. RAKrwb Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Professor Emeritus of Occupational Medicine