Document XzOjnzMg4Y1amoy5KQV1vNNvg

May 5, 1949 Mr. Manfred Bowdiieh, Director of Health and Safety, Lead Industries Association, 420 Lexington Avenue, lieu fork City 17. Boar Manfred! In response to your letter of April 23 and its question 1 am glad to point out that the statement made on the authority of Doctor ou-1-.i.oy Lho * iay t sue ci one rUiia Journal oubs tantially incorrect It is quite true that the crank-case oil from engines us- ing leaded gasoline has load in it* In general, however, the lead derived from the fuel has been decomposed and exists in inorganic form, with the exception cf minute traces cf tetraethyl lead. A very considerable number* of observations have been made on crank-case oil, and to the best cf my knowledge no instance has been found of signi ficant concentrations cf tetraethyl lead' Jk w vV if uld be recognized, of course, that to the extent that the fuel is unburned and misted with crank-case oil, small quantities of tetraethyl lead might occur therein, along with the gasoline, as a contaminant Aciually, however, the concentrations have been too small to be of significance, Analyses have- shown, moreover, tlmt new oil before being introduced into the crank-case contains small quantities of lead compounds, and therefore net all of the lead in such oil is derived from the fuel. I do not suggest that crank-case oil is the best of all possible materials to use as the vehicle for insecticidal sprays for animals. For this reason x am not much disturbed by any allegations that would render such a solvent unpopular*. On the other hand, I think the hogs can be regarded as quite safe from the viewpoint of percutaneous absorption of tetraethyl lead from any source* Cordially yours. IAK of I:oDerti uohoe, M. D, HE 0014976