Document QJ4Dep166Rx158o3NVYBmvk3v

Kay 2k> W33 Mr* W. A. Reanler White Oil Sales Associated Oil Company 79 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, California Dear Mr* Reaniors Your letter of April 26th (File 15-l-JFJ) addressed to I4r* Sam Wagner of the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation with respect to a letter of Mr* Joseph Schneider1s has been referred to me from the New York office of the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation* In making reply to Mr. Schneider's questions. It Is probably just as well to make clear my connection with this whole, matter for your Information* As Director of the Medical Department of the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation I have been responsible for the promulgation of pre cautionary measures for the handling of Ethyl Fluid and hare acted as advisor to the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation in all matters concerned with public health aspects of its business* In this connection it is worth while, perhaps, to point out that the questions which Mr* Schneider ha in mind have obviously been in the minds of a great many people for a number of years, and In my position of peculiar responsibility this has been the uppermost question to be considered* St is scarcely likely that X should take the position that the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation was justified in promoting any commercial enterprise which endangered in cby way the health of the American public* This brings me to state ay second point of contact with this question in that as a member of the medical faculty of the University of Cincinnati, and as Director of the Laboratory of Applied Physiology, I have directed most of the experimental work which has been carried on in order to doterm'ne whether or not there is any danger associated with the us and distribution of leaded gasoline* My primary responsibility.is of course, that of a medical investigator and I am In the capacity of advisor bd the Ethyl Gasc i tie Corporation only by the accident,; so to speak, of having been associated with this expe^ikentai problem from its Inception* Now having disposed of myself and my connections, I should J,ik to outline briefly the experimental work which has been don in this laboratory and elsewhere over a period 2 Hr, W, & Reanier were carried out at the United States Bureau of Mines Experiment station as a study of the influence of the lead in exhaust gases* This consisted of a long ex perimental program which resulted in the conclusion that the amounts of lead Inhaled by the most exposed individuals over a long period of time could be regarded as hygienioally insignificant. From their observatlons they concluded that the lead content of gasoline would have to be increased fivefold or thereabouts before evidences of lead aceumulation could be observed even after long exposure The next published report was that of the United States Public Health Service in which a 'study of filling station employees and garage mechanics was carried out in a very painstaking manner to determine whether or not any evidences of lead aisorption had occurred among these persons exnosed to the most serious hypothetical dangers. This investigation resulted in the statement that no evidence of danger to the public health had been found and that there was no reason for preventing the use and distribution of leaded gasoilup The next official inves tigation was that of the British Ministry of Health who reviewed all of the experimental work which had been done, carried out further crucial experiments of their own, and verified the findings of the American investigators. During the above period and sines that tine, systematic investigations have been carried out in this laboratory In the sthdy of the same problem. The methods of study have been refined from time to time and a large number of the most severely exposed persons have been studied. No evidence has been obtained to indicate that the distribution of leaded gasoline constitutes in any way a danger bo the public health. In fact It can be stated now with certainty that neither of the occupations, namely that of filling station employee and garage mechanic, present any significant industrial exposure to lead com pounds In view of the fact that these g.roups of workmen are much more exposed than are any individuals of the general publl,c, it seems now quite certain that there is no lead hazard to the community associated with the use of leaded gasoline containing present concentrations of lead* " There is, I believe, no problem in connection with the public health which has been more thoroughly and more exhaustively studied than this question of leaded gasoline, and it 13 entirely proper that this should be the ease since If there were a danger, it would be so widespread as to defy any kind of regulation or precaution. I merely state the fact that it has been so carefully In vestigated in order to demonstrate a point which I wish to make which is that It is inconceivable that any Industry should take a chance on a business enterprise wl^ich Involved possible danger to the nubile In general. To do so without HE 0.015 49 2 W. A. Reanler 3 adequate investigation would bo indeed foolhardy from a purely commercial point of view. Now as to the question of warnings to the public in the fora of signs on pumps etc it must bo recognised that at the time these precautionary measures were first Instituted, fchero was not adequate evidence as to what might be the effect of distribution of this gasoline over a long period of tine. The investigations of the United States Public Health Service gave no in formation on the effects of exposure beyond a period of two and a half to three years. Most of the persons studied had been exposed not longer than two years. As a conse quence of this, the Public Health Service felt that lb was advisable to bo cautious and to institute as great care as was possible in the handl'ng of gasoline. Therefore the public was warned that the gasoline contpined lend and that they should handle it with certain care. In fact this vmrning was issued with the idea of so informing them that they need not buy gasoline containing load except through choice. It la now something over ton years and as investigation has preceded it has been increasingly apparent both by the nature of the type of experimentation done, and as a consequence of the time which elapsed, that the handling of leaded gasoline and the use of leaded gasoline in automobiles is not dangerous in any way. It Is my personal opinion as the most experienced Investigator in this field, and as the one person whose responslbility Is greatest in the matter, that there is not on shred of evidence to indicate that leaded gasoline is in any way more dangerous In relation to the public health than is any other typo of gasoline. However, I should not advise the elimination of signs on the pumns or of any other precautionary measures. Gasoline which Is devised for the purposes of -so In motors may for a number of reasons be un<u 'ted for use elsewhere* This may be increasingly true of future gasolines. Therefore, gasoline as an automobile fuel should be labeled to indicate that It is for that purpose and no other. As an example of what I mean, let me po'nt out that loaded gasoline is unsatisfactory in a measure as a dry-cleanSn g fluid or as fuel for stoves and lamps* Moreover it should not be used in the form of a spray on motor parts or on motors particularly when tho latter are hot. Moreover, gasoline itself is a some what dangerous material and, in ray opinion, any type of warning which tends bo caution people to handle it with greater care. Is a distinct advantage. For there reasons, therefore,, I consider it advisable to maintain the present precautionary measures with relation to leaded gasoline. In order to make somewhat clearer the back ground of the experimental work which has been done on this subject, I am enclosing herewith a copy of the latest 00154S3 T h Mr. B, A. Reanier article on the subject in which the latest experimental observations of this laboratory are reported* This article contains references to all the literature on the subject and provides the means of obtaining all the documentary evidence that is available. In addition to what I have said above, I should state that an article is now almost ready for publication in which still more conclusive and refined experimental observations are reported. This article will appear in medical literature at a vei'y early dat. I trust this will give you the information j ?ihich you require for Mr. Schneider, but If there Is anything further, please do not hesitate to let me know. Very truly yours. HAKiia R^QrTTr^ehoeT^STDT KE 0015494