Document RppJ4L105eL2pBGngQzEQEM3B

July 22, 191+0 Mr. Lester B. Roberts Casilla de Correo Buenos Aires Argentina Dear Mr. Roberts: I am sending you herewith a copy-of a letter which I have written to Dr. Yettes. A short time ago I also wrote to Dr. Hurtado, sending him a number of reprints which wore not given to him by Dr. Sanders and giving him certain other items of information. In response to your message, I wired Dr. Lane *s boat and invited him to visit us in Cincinnati. - There are a number of other matters which I wish to bring to your attention. First, the matter of fage piece of more flexible character which could be used by persons with queer facial contours, has received some attention at the hands of the Mines Safety Appliances Company. I brought this to the attention of my friend Bill IT&nt, who is one of their technical people, and received from him information that they-had developed a new Mines Safety Appliance face piece which is applicable to many different types of faces. I have seen this face piece and I believe it would work very advan tageously in the situation which you brought to my attention. I have not purchased any of these and I am not sending one to you, although I 3hall be quite willing to do so if you wish. It occurred to me that a better technique might be to recommend this face piece to the management of the plant in question in order that they might obtain one or more of these masks and try them out. It is worth while, I believe, to know that such masks are available. If you want me to do anything further about this, or if you would like to have me bring such a face piece if and when I come to South America, let me know by letter or cable. Second, In the matter of the apparatus for sampling the lead content of the air mentioned In my correspondence with ou and In my 0- 2- memorandum concerning the Braden Copper project, the drawing was omitted because this particular drawing involved a piece of equipment which is no longer used, and which is not entirely adequate. It was a comparatively simple type of wash bottle to contain the solution, with a flow meter arrangement and a mercury column to provide an air leak. As a matterof fact any type of flow meter can be used in connection with a wash bottle of si.ple design, but it is necessary for the sake of accuracy to have a somewhat more accurate metering device than the flow meter. Samples should be taken over some con siderable period of time. What was occurring in our experience was that flow meters were left without supervision and any change which occurred in the air pressure in any part of the line resulted in a change in the flow meter which, because it was not recorded in any!way, resulted in gross errors in measuring the volume of air. We have decided that it is necessary to use an accurate . air meter in connection with this equipmait. Therefore all that is necessary is an accurate air meter and a wash bottle containing the solution. We like to use a fritted glass screen through which the air flows into the wa3h bottle, but this Is not entirely necessary in order to obtain accurate results. Any reasonably capable technical man or chemist can devise a suitable wash bottle for this purpose which, if used in connection with an adequate meter, will give wholly satisfactory results. . Finally as to my trip to South America. Things have been moving so rapidly In Europe that despite my conversation with Mr. Bevan when he was here, I have decided to consult him again and get his decision before actually entering upon this trip. I do not want to travel for a more or less non-oxistent company and it is difficult to say just what wouldbe the outcome of the Associated Ethyl Company if London were to be essentially wiped off the map. I sincerely hope that this can be averted but I have no very calm assurance that it will be. Accordingly I have written Ray and in due course will have word from him as to what he thinks I should do. I shall also consult Mr. Webb shortly since in the final analysis, he may have to decide what I should do. If it seems advisable to do so, I shall plan to leave the States some time in the last week In September. I shall inquire into the easiest means of following your tentative plans as to itinerary, and no doubt I shall communicate with you further and in some detail before making definite plans. If anything occurs at your end to make It advisable that my trip should be made later, do not hesitate to let me know for I am very busy and can arrange a trip to South America K E 0010494 - 3- aa far aa I know now, at any reasonable date after the last week in September. I have a speaking engagement in Virginia on the 2Jrd of September. There is also a meeting in Detroit on the week of the 8th of October which I should like to a ttend but which I have decided not to wait for unless circumstances in South America 3aggest the advisability of so doing. In any case, I must return to Cincinnati as early as possible in November, although I do not want to be hurried too much because I would like to make the trip by boat one way at least, so far as that is possible. That will be about all the vacation I will get so far as my present plans are concerned, and I should like to have at least that much. The study of the tank cleaning problem as it was systematically planned and worked out in connection with activities in this country is finished and I am sending you two copies under separate cover. I think you will find the report of considerable interest. I call specific attention to the fact that all tanks which have been used for the storage of leaded gasoline must be regarded as potentially hazardous and must be dealt with accordingly. Oh the basis of further experimental obser vations, we may be able to localize certain factors more definitely than is possible to do at the present time,but so far as preventive measures are concerned, it would appear that we must regard all taik3 as dangerous. This does not refer to mobile equipment of a type that is used for different kind3 of products and are cleaned frequently. However it is possible that tank barges which are cleaned infrequently can be just about as dangerous as stationary storage tanks. I call this matter to your attention for such use as it may be to you. Very truly yours, RAK:is Robert A . Kehoe, M.D . 0010495