Document o98yEN8OG9vD5LpaqDjyY0owX

February 10* 1926 Era* Oraoe E* Burnham, Workers* Health Bureau, Broadway and Slovonth Street, New York City* Ey dear Ers* Burnhams I received your letters of February 4th end 5th, and the copy of your analysis of the Bureau of Einea Report* It seems to me to bo very good* The main point In which the re >ort from the Bureau i of Ulnea on the subject of ethyl gao Is defective la that the experiments which that report describes do not apply to real conditions* The animals under test were kept in an atmosphere containing exhaust gas and dust only up to four parts of carbon monoxide in ten thousand* The point is made that this amount of carbon monoxide is the standard which I and my associ ates determined as the highest propor amount for the New York, New Jersey Vehicular Tunnel. It is indeed also the highest mount that should, on grounds of healthfulness, exist at any time in a garage; but, in fact, there is ample evidence In our observations, and particularly also the (recent report by Dr* Etuore Ciampolinl of the New York Department of Labor in his study of public garages, showing that the atmosphere in such places la often con^aminatoa to a far greater extent than the four to ten thousand standard* At present, with the form of exhaust used on most automobiles. It is quite impossible to ventilate garages to a healthful standard in regard to carbon monoxide* For the same reason garage workers, even on the basis of the Bureau of Einoa report, will bo ox-posed to several times a3 much load dust as were the animals reported In those experiments* In the report much stress is laid upon the fact that a great part of the lead from the gasoline cakes in the engine and in the exhaust lino and muffler* Of course if all of the lead adhered in the car, there would be no danger of dust from Che exhaust; in fact at first, when tetra ethyl load was being developed, this did occur and it blocked the engines to such an extent that other substances, particularly a volatile bromide, has been added so as to cause the lend, after explosion In the engine, to pass out, at least in part* Now I learn on good authority, and the matter has the highest inherent probability, that aotivo Investigation is under way to find some additional substance which may be added to ethyl Hrs* race L* Burnham 2* 'ebruary 10, 1925 gas ao as to enable all of the lead to be blown out or the exhaust Instead of oaklng In the stuffier as happens at present* there Is no reason to doubt that this development will be effected by the commercial interests concerned, as they have ample funds to carry on the investigation and there is no technical reason why a substance cannot bo found which will effect the purpose in view* This will be a groat improvement in the use of ethyl gas and v/ill correspondingly Increase the health hazard* It Is not necessary to question tbs aocuracy of the chemical analyses carried cut by the experimenters at the Bureau of Hines Station* Kven if these analyses aro absolutely correct, the experiments are so poorly planned that they do not apply to the actual problem* In a garage dust accumulates from week to week and month to month* In the experimental chamber at Pittsburgh, on the contrary, the volume of air blown through was so much that no accumulation of dust could occur* In the experiments as carried out the animals were placed in a room through whloh fexhr.vist gas diluted with a large volume of air was passed* It would have been a nearer approach to real conditions if the exhaust gas had been blown through the chamber for several j weeks without putting in animals into the chamber. Then when an amount of dust had collected corresponding to chat which occurs in a garage the oxhaust could have been shut off* The animals could then have boon made to live In this dusty room for a few weeks* An experiment of that sort would have approximated real conditions in a garage* It Is admitted in the report that the hazard from lead to workers in repair shops and garages will in future be comparable to that to which painters are exposed* To anyone uho knows how injurious are the effects of lead poisoning upon painters, this admission is sufficient to counteract all the claims in the report regarding the harmlessness of leaded gasoline* You are free to use these statements either publicly or for transmission to the New York Health Council, if you think they will be of use Sincerely yours, Y&ndell Henderson