Document dYYKVnX7vBEGK5X5Z0bEQoE79

TJHE ASSOCIATED ETHYL COMPANY LIMITED A` MEDICAL SERVICES ELLESMERE PORT, CHESHIRE . - H pa d O f f ic e : 20 BERKELEY SQ UARE, LONDO N, W. I . TELEPHONE: E LLE S M E R E PO R T 3611 TELEX NO: 6 2 3 6 4 DR. P. S . I. B A R R Y Ch ief Medical Officer t e l e g r a m s : O C TEL, ELLESM ERE PORT, TELEX CABLES' O C TE L, ELLESM ER E PO RT O U R REF. Y O U R REF. , Dear Dr. Kehoe, - 20th February, 1961. ' Thank you very much for your letter of February 14_th in answer to my query concerning the choice of atmospheric standards in relation to organic lead. Our feeling here was that we should stick to the standard of 0.75 mg.Pb. per 10 cu.m, as the maximum allowable concentration for organic lead compounds, which was set by yourself in the first place and has been regarded by us as being the acceptable limit over the years. I am very glad that you feel as we do and that we should not relax our standards either in our manufacturing plants or in mixing plants and gasoline tanks. ' ' I do not know why Du Pont have taken the figure of 1.5 mg.Pb. per 10 cu.m, as being acceptable in the field, but now that we have your advice on the matter our Sales people will be writing to them and will be indicating that our views on the matter are supported by your own. Thank you very much for giving us your opinion on this question, which, as you no doubt appreciate, is always highly valued in this Company. I have not heard directly from Philip Boyd, but in mid January I phoned his mother and she told me that he left for Boston on 6th January and is taking up a job in Psychiatry in the Massachusetts General Hospital. I gathered from his mother that he is very happy in his present environment, and Mr. Bevan has had a card from him which supports this view. Should you be writing to him, his address is as follows: 80, Mount Vernon Street, Boston, Massachusetts. ' With kindest regards to yourself and Mrs. Kishoe, Sincerely yours, /VV (P.S.I. Barry) Dr.R.A. Kehoe, The Kettering Laboratory, College of Medicine, Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, 19, Ohio. psiB/pby i ' 0306370 TM7738 i February 14, 1961 AIR MAIL xxxxxxx AVon 1 -2568 Dr. P. S. I. Barry Chief Medical Officer The Associated Ethyl Company Limited Medical Services Ellesmere Port Cheshire, ENGLAND Dear Pat: I was pleased to hear from you for any reason, and I hasten to reply to your question concerning the criteria for the choice of atmospheric standards in relation to organic lead. I'll give you the whole background of the situation. You may wish to call this to the attention of duPont people. If you do not, I shall, at some appropriate time. As you are aware, no doubt, the maximum allowable concentration of certain compounds of lead in relation to occupational exposure in the U.S.A. at present is 0.2 mg. per cubic meter, it having been 0.15 mg. per cubic meter for many years previously. Therefore, the figure 0.15 per cubic meter (or 1.50 per 10 cubic meters) no longer has any formalplace in American practice. As it happened, however, when we had to adopt a figure to shoot at in the TEL manufacturing plants, many years ago, the general standard was 0.15 mg. per cubic meter. I felt that it should be reduced for TEL because of the more rapid and more complete absorption of the latter, since it existed in the air as a vapor. Its lipid*, solubility also seemed to me sufficient reason for some extra caution. I simply set 0.075 mg. per cubic meter as an arbitrary standard to be achieved and this has been the basis for environmental control in the manufacturing plants since. I have no way of telling just what the duPont people have in mind in relation to mixing plants and tank-cleaning, for I have never discussed this point with them. However, in my view, there is no sound reason for departing from current practice. The lower figure for organic lead is fully justified, and I would not alter it if I were in your position. O CQ There is, of course, a factor of time in this whole matter, and O o the concentration of TEL or TML in the air could be in considerable o excess of that recommended in connection with an 8-hour day, if the period of exposure were brief. These considerations always require elaborate discussions if they are put to use, and I do not recommend 3c any such discussion in your manual. So much for this matter. I have not heard a word from Philip Boyd. I had expected him to be X 7738.01 Dr. P. S. I. Barry 2 February 14, 1961 the appointment there. If you would be good enough to let me know where he can be reached by a letter, I'll appreciate it. With kindest regards. Sincerely, Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. RAK:ss w .E* 0006D72