Document aJxdNR9NKjzxZ25NXgGGvJ63M

October '1st. I9a4. *'0'?* x f>*? - >-&-' jj *..* -4 r.'.-i-, ^ L v <. 1051. .?S'?C3jt?lD?#! for tbs Prone to be deleaved October 55at. la connection with the unusual cirensstnneos stten-liw the death of cert-sin individuals employed In conboctln^ experiment! rorfc ^ithtetraethyl lead ir. the Scyuoy laboratories of the Staadard Oil Company of '%u .Tareey, tbs Paonrt-- -rant of the Interior, throw*? the Boreeu of ?^ltses, colls attention to the diffar- one between tetraethyl load sal Sthyl Ossollss. These tuo products, which ore cuite different-, pouM sees to here become confuse! in the .ninris of the nubile *a the result of -arose accounts of this ustxsuol accident. Considerable publicity hoa boon ,"1703 to the stnterseat that the product causing the poisoning of those parsons uaa Hthyl Oosoline, the product s sol! to automobile owners. This ie erroneous the s^onartaent points cut, as the operation of the 'Haywoy laboratories refers to the process of insaafoeiinre of the cancsntr&tod tetraethyl load. This product is not sold to automobile drivers except .when tcemn&eusly 'Hinted nith gasoline. Tetraethyl lend So not in itself an engine fuel and is only use! in greatly diluted fora, cocasonly less than one cart of tetraethyl load to one thousand erts of gasoline by volume. cn of tfip; outstanding problems Confronting auto-motive engineers in attesting to construct motors of greater oeooossy is that of slia&nating the se-colled "knock* fro the operation of the engine. St has been daaonstrated that this "knock* can he controlled by the addition of eosl! eoantltioe of certain fitsi&s, These tsater** isle strike it ocseible to use satisfactorily a lover grade of gasoline and to" use engines of a anrt eeoneaieal type. The value, in fuel conservation of hath increasing the oortion of erode oil aatkefcabla as ssetcr fuel end alee permitting the designing of tore efficient engines, nos obvious to the bureau of ' ^ines. Their attention uas colled to the possibility of health haasards in addition to those of carbon monoxide from exhaust gases. .Os a result the investigation of these products ms undertaken. The laboratory uork ans conducted by the Tepartesent of Interior at the Pittsburgh Ttstioo of the Borosu of Tines uadar the direct supervision of its Technical otaff. '.'tse of the eaost eonnasly used anti-knock compounds is knewm as tetraethyl leal. Tills is added to gasolino in miantlty of less than oaf? part of tetraethyl lead in one thousand parts of gasoline by volume end'this talatore sold on the nsarlcet as Tfckyl Carolina. The problems of the health bastard due to tho use of tetraethyl load any be divided into three parts. 1. The bastard in the sjemsfacturing and handling of tho concentrated tetraethyl load. `Tils hazard occurs in tho manufacturing plant. ?. -The possible bastard in handling tho Ethyl Gasoline (one oart of tetraethyl lead K6, 0017680 to em thousand marts of gseolino. This possible hasard sscy affect those handling Ethyl Hanoiins. 3. The possible hasord doe to the exhmst gaeee fro oatoKsobilsa using sttsyl Gasoline. This pcssibl hasard concerns the stirs public. "ha scope of tbs noxte undertakes l$r the Korean, of Miaes Included an ia* vsstlgation of ail possible hassrds m outlined la the above. The first two parts, namely that of the danger in the manufacture .and handling of the concentrated tetra ethyl load and the possible risk In handling the Sibyl Gasoline as sold to the <mtosobilo driver, are now being investigated. Sufficient lata has hot bees obtained to draw conclusions to date. As soon os this investigation has bean completed the revolts will he mad public* `The last part of the shove outlined problems, naaoly the 'possible hasard due to the exhaust gases fro automobiles using Ethyl Gasoline as ordinarily sold ''os been carried on for more than ten soothe. The plan of investigation was that of exposing various types of snintals (pigeons, goinsa pigs, rabbits, dogs and monkeys, over 100 in sll) to a definite concentration of exhaust gap from an engine using Sasoline. The concentration of exhaust @g b in air used was. that which, rhea coming from the average imtorsobilo would bo four parts carbon monoxide is ten thousand oarto of air; this concentre* tion would be allowable for "bat a period of one hour exposure from the standpoint of carbon monoxide. (ibe concentration of exhanst <530 in air used uaa such ns to exceed that 'mom to exist inordinary traffic of & city street.) Ths carbureter *?os adjusted so that the carbon monoxide content of the exhaust 4553 frost the engine used was lass than ono-half that found in the average automobile exhaust passes. The snisels were divided into three representtive groups. `The first tm groups sere exposed for periods of three and sis hours respectively and the third group not exposed hat used ss controls, The aniranls were thus daily exposed for throe end six hours over a total period of apprextestely eight months to a 'mom concentration of exhaust gas. There exposures were such that the lead con tent of the air breathed by the animals was similar to iliet which would., result when exhaust goses of an average automobile using Bthyl Gasoline are diluted so as to contain about four parts of carbon monoxide to tea thousand parts of air (the per missible exposure for on hour from the standpoint of carbon monoxide poisoning). ""Ms was a considerably higher concentration of exhaust gars than could ordinarily occur. Tbs animals ware observed throughout the entire tost period for symptoms of load poisoning, as colic, paralysis, loos of appetite and loss of weight. ;'.lno, s careful examination of the blood was mad for characteristic signs of lead poison ing. ht various times animal g were killed and the entire tierues examined for effects of lead and analysed for 3tored-up lead After a period of aoproadmtely eight csenthe daily exposure to the chore conditions there was no indication of load poisoning, Tho anintsls continued to grew and mature at a normal rate. Or of the dogs gave birth to fi-so puppies. These were continued on teat with the aether and in the course of the test eaturad ?5erasll7. d3i absence of lead poisoning any ho dta to the small amount of lend present in the exhaust gets sir trixture. Turthetsaore* observations raeda on can shooed that most of the lead in exhsnst gases easing fro 3thyi Caroline xfcsn inhaled is again exhaled. The investigation carried out indicestae the danger of sufficient load cectsaalation in the streets through the discharging of seels from automobile laotors to ho seemingly resets, Tha investigation of the possible hasarda of load poisoning from exhaust gases is being continued at the `ittsbergh Station of the Tureen of 'Hass, together pith the first two phases of this study. KE 00176.83