Document YrGoXwxB1BygvpEyqYpgqrY3E

9vm 25* 195? Sr# A. T# Sxwln Iowa State College . of Agriculture and Eeohanie Art Ames, Iowa Boar Mr# Erwins . . . I'am glad to reply* as well as I can* to the question In your letter of Tune 22nd, In general there is no sub* stantial danger of appreciable lead absorption from skin contact with watery solutions or suspensions of inorganic load compounds* Some of the most ,, soluble compounds 'produce very definite injury to ... the skin* but the absorption of lead through the. . skin is negligibleand this without regard to the presene of ordinary cuts, and wounds# Obviously a surface completely denuded of skin might show somewhat greater absorption than the intact skin* bat even here the inorganic compound, would tend to remain on the surface and. the actual absorption into the body would be of little consequence. In the case of'materials used:for coating pottery*, one is dealing with quite insoluble compounds of lead and in this Instance neither damage to the skin or skin' absorption is to bo feared# It is quit " - apparent that such compounds deposited on the skin and beneath the, fingernails may -serve as a source ' of gross oontsmination'' of food- materials*, tobacco . or any other object which is introduced into the mouth, However* reasonable car and cleanliness should serve to prevent',damage or any conbaminatiai frcm this source, You refer in passing to the possible absorption of lead in the fora of a spray# Any finely divided material suspended In.the atmosphere as a spray could obviously be inhaled. The degree of lead absoprtion from duch a factor would depend* of course* on the actual duration of exposure and the con centration of lead particles in the atmosphere. If the exposure were sever in magnitude and duration* lead poisoning could* of course* result. As a matter of fact* the inhalation of lead compounds in general is much more dangerous than any other means of exposure KE 0015393 . ,2 Mr. A. T. Erwin X trust this will serve to answer your question* but if it leaves any point unanswered* X shall be pleased to give you any further information which 1 may have* Very, truly yours * RAKsis 'RobSW"I T^ ^ oo^ W 3 K E 0015394