Document YygwJzVvbXp7MkgoEVjV2dM8

A m e r i c a n P e t r o l e u m In s t i t u t e 1271 AV EN U E OF TH E A M ERI CAS N e w Y o r k 2 0 . N. Y. DI VI SI ON OF SCI EN CE AN D TECH N O LOGY E L M E R O . M A T T O C K S . DI RECTOR W . L . C U L L I S O N . ASST. D1 RI CTOR COORD I N ATORS J . F. M C K E N N A . SAFETY J . R. N O B L E . ENOI NKSRI NO A . J. T U R C H C T T I . M . D . . MEDI CAL D I VI SI ON AL VI CE PRESI D EN T C H A R L E S E. S PA H R . FRESI DEMT TH E STAN OARD O I L CO M PAN Y ( OHI O) CLEVELAND . OHIO October 8, 1963 Subject: Human lata on Lead Exposure__________ Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. The Kettering Laboratory College of Medicine Eden Avenue Cincinnati 19, Ohio Tu -175-6 3 \v Dear Dr. Kehoe: I am in receipt of your letter of October 1, 1963, regarding the inquiry of Major Charles E. Ward for information concerning exposure to leads in the cleaning of storage tanks for leaded gasoline. I have written Major Ward suggesting that he seek this informa tion from the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army, as you have suggested, being hopeful that all the time, effort and expense you have gone to in the past have not gone in vain. A copy of this letter is attached for your information and file. There will, therefore, be no need for you to answer Major Ward's request at this time. Thanking you for your kind effort in this respect, I remain, Sincerely, AJT:s g Attachment cc: R. E. Eckardt, M. D. (w/attachment) 6 -# A. J. Turchetti, M. D. K 00075,(4 Am e r i c a n P e t r o l e u m In s t i t u t e ' . 1 2 7 1 A V E N U E OF THE AM ERI CAS . N E.w. Yo r k 2 0 . N . Y. di vi si o n o f sc ie n c e a n d t ec h n o l o g y .ague, m a t t o c k s . oi* cr CB , A t 8 T - OlMt CTC* COORDI NATORS ^ j 'i j i K E N N A . AAI TV ` M O a i- E . KNGINCCRmo * ,*irURCH ETTI, M .D .. M tc n c * . DI VI SI ONAL V I CE PRESI D EN T C H A R L E S E. S PA H R . Pft S* I DCNT TH E STAN D ARD O I L CO M PAN Y ( OH I O) CLEVELAN D , OHIO October 8, 1963 Subject: Human Data on Lead Exposure ....... Charles E. Ward Major, QMC " HQ, U. S. A m y Petroleum Subdepot TSURUMI AIO 503 Dear Major Ward: Tu-17^-63 - In follow-up to my letter of September 25th concerning your request of September 17, 19&3 > ior statistical data on human exposure to lead, it has been brought to my attention that you should be able to seek advice of this type from the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army. It is my understanding that industry representatives have devoted a great deal of time, effort, and expense in the past indoctri nating key Army personnel all over the world on this problem and the proper means of handling it. Furthermore, the Surgeon General's office has issued instructions concerning it. ITherefore, it is felt that al though we could ultimately supply you with the information you requested, the Surgeon General's office would be the proper channel through which it should be obtained. To do otherwise would defeat the original Intent of indoctrinating the Army in matters of this type so that it could answer requests such as yours. Suffice it to say, however, that it has been known for more than twenty years that there is no change in the urine Coproporphyrin in response to the absorption of tetraethyl lead, even in fatal poisoning. AJTiSg If I can help you further, please let me know. Very truly yours, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY A.. J... TURCHETTI, M. D. A. J. Turchetti, M. D. . N 7931.01 October 1, 1963 . A. J. Turchetti, M.D. .American Petroleum Institute 1271 Avenue of the Americas New Y rk 20, New Y r k <10020) Re: TU-184-63 Inquiry of Major Charles E. Ward for information concerning exposure to lead in the cleaning of storage tanks for leaded gasoline Dear Doctor Turchetti: I shall be pleased to provide Major Ward with satisfactory information, either directly or through your office. We in the Kettering Laboratory have gathered data on this subject (with specific reference to the type of potential exposure to lead under consideration) for many years, and Z wauld have been called upon, in any case, to reply to your letter (or to supply the information) even if you had been able to address Dr. Princi. If you will let roe know your wishes, with respect to the handling of this matter, I shall respond accordingly. The question raised by Major Ward Is roore than a little disconcerting, because the proper thing for him to have done was to seek advice from the office of the Army Surgeon General. One cannot but wonder why he would by-pass the constituted authorities in his own organization. Of all the organizations in the world, one would expect that the normal channels of information within this organization would be exhausted first. As the Medical Director of Ethyl Corporation for thirty-three years prior to 1953, in coordination with the technical personnel of the Corporation and the principals in the investigative program of the Kettering Laboratory in these matters, I attended meetings in various places with responsible Army personnel from all over the world, at great trouble and expense, indoctrinating them on this problem and in the proper means of handling it. The Surgeon General's office knew ail about the matter (or did only a short time ago), ana has issued instructions concerning it. My only reason for speaking of these matters in this letter to you, lies in the necessity of reviving the Array procedures in this matter,so that the kind of ignorance of the problem and of the appropriate method of seeking guidance concerning it, that has been demonstrated by Major Ward, will be less glaring. It Is sad and disillusioning to realize that the entire program of preventive medicine and hygiene, so carefully laid out and pursued in this matter for so many years, has coroe to naught in this instance. It seems unlikely to me that Major Ward is a man of such monumental stupidity as to have ignored all instructions which he may have had on this matter. It seems likely, rather, that the Army authorities have allowed this matter to die on the vino. Other wise I cannot understand why anyone would have been examining the urine of workmen in this occupation for coproporphyrin, when it has been known for more than twenty years that there is no change in this respect in response to the A AA ^ U u U ( 1 A, J. Turchetti, M.D. - (2) - October 1, 1903 absorption of tetraethyllead even in fatal poisoning. Hie trouble people go to in order to obtain utterly useless information in relation to industrial hygiene, and the assumptions that are made by physicians in such matters will never cease to amaze me. I shall await your reply before taking further action on this matter. Sincerely yours, RAK:vr cc - R. E. Eckardt, M.D. Robert A. Kehoe, M.D.