Document qaeoY9QvQ77y0V9Q9jm66zoqq

/ DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY R. M. HIXOH, HEAD IOWA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS AMES. IOWA July 18, 194-6 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe, X^tterine laboratory of Applied Phys iology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati 19, Ohio. "'"an Or. Kehoe: rhanks very much for the information con tained in your letter of July 16, 1946 concern ing the use of sheet lead for decorative purroses . '"ith kind regards. Sincerely yours, - j : ne te 0 July 16, 19^6 Dr. Henry Gilman, Department of Chemistry, Iova State College, Ames, Iova. Dear D r . Gilman t D r . Calingaert has raised some questions of me in relation to your letter of July 2 to him, vlth its enclosure of certain items of correspondence.After a conversation vith Calingaert ve agreed that it vould he advisable to write to you directly on certain aspects of the correspondence. The comments in 'Yirs. Munn's fan mall" are not astonishing in any vay, but, in fact, represent the more or less usual reactions of uninformed people vho attempt to deal vlth matters of this kind. The response is usually emotional and not factual, and argumentative rather than soberly critical. The real problems in this situation have been covered in very large part by the advice given to Mrs. Munn by Dr. Calingaert and yourself. There is one aspect of it, however, to which, so far as I know, no reference was made, and which should receive some consideration. The use of metallic lead or lead compounds of any kind for decorative or other purposes vlthln the house hold is fully justified under most circumstances. On the other hand, there is one precautionary principle that should always be borne in m i n d . Metallic lead or lead compounds which are distributed within the environment of small children are a potential source of hazaxd. This situation should be controlled vith meticulous care. The difficulty here arises from the fact that small children get their hands into everything and then put them in their mouths. Moreover, everything that they can pick up and everything that they can reach is likely to be chewed or licked or otherwise introduced in part into the alimentary tract. It is not possible to teach a baby personal hygiene, and as a consequence of this fact, any risk which can be kept completely out of the small child's environment should be so handled. One can go into great detail to explain the various aspects of this problem and to describe the many situa tions that have been seen coincident vith illness and sometimes vlth fatalities. However, I think I need only say again that the only cure for this situation is to see to it that the small child does not have lead compounds of any kind within his environment. Obviously this applies to household decorations, toys, play-pens, beds, high chairs, kitchen and table implements, and the like. 003C3 Dr. Henry Gilman - (2) - July 16, 1946 The hazard of dealing vith metallic lead otherwise, in the case of adults,is primarily a matter of the avoidance of dust or fumes. Thus if metallic lead is scraped, sand papered or otherwise fragmented mechanically, or if its oxidised surface is subjected to mechanical operations of any kind, finely divided metal is likely to be thrown into the air to be breathed by any one who is near enough to do so. Whether or not trouble occurs will depend upon the concentration of these materials in the air and the length of time over which individuals are exposed. Obviously in work such as Mrs. Munn is performing, this hazard can be avoided completely. Another and less important hazard arises from the fact that the handling of metallic lead on which there is almost always a film of oxide or carbonate, results in the contamination of the skin of the hands by which means food, beverages and/or other materials that may be put into the mouth will be contaminated. This is, generally speaking, a rather insignificant hazard, but it is one that is readily avoided by any prudent or ordinarily cleanly individual. One need not fear lead absorption through the skin under these conditions, for the absorption of inorganic lead compounds through the skin is of theoretical interest, but of no practical importance. This, as you will recognize, is not true of tetraethyl lead, but that is quite another matter. I think I should not close this discussion without pointing out that any process of operation that involves the application of heat to lead or its compounds increases the risk of inhalation very markedly. Welding, cutting with heat, soldering, melting operations, and all of such procedures, especially the application of any local heat in excess of 800* C., results in the creation of lead fume, the inhalation and absorption of which represents the most serious type of hazard with which we have to deal in Industry. In this connection the present standards for safe occupational lead exposure Tequire that the lead concentration in the air breathed throughout the working day should not be permitted to exceed 1.5 mgs. Pb per 10 cubic meters of air. Actually it is advisable to see to it that the concentration does not reach this level at any time, but if such concentration is not exceeded, the occurrence of lead poisoning even after months of daily exposure is not to be expected. Finally it is to be remembered in connection with exposure to lead compounds, that it is not possible to live on this earth without taking in and absorbing into the body measurable quanti ties of lead. This is no excuse for carelessness in the handling of this element and its compounds, but it does clearly indicate that lead compounds in order to be poisonous at all must gain entrance to the body in adequate concentration. The limits of such concentrations are well on the way to being accurately <^B 003C4 I Dr. Henry Gilman - (3) - July 16, 1946 definable, and therefore there la no longer much excuse for the kind of unreasonable beliefs and statements that have hitherto characterized lay and sometimes medical discussion on this subject. Sincerely yours, Fobert A. Eehoe, M. D. FAK ef Dictated but not read. O 0 C C 30b cc : Dr. H. Gilman ETHYL CORPORATION RESEARCH LABORATORIES 1 6 0 0 W EST EIGHT MILE ROAD FERNDALE 20 DETROIT. MICHIGAN Ju ly 8, 1946 Dr . ? . . Xehce College of Hedicine Vniversity of Cincinnati 'den Avenue C i n c i n n a t i 19, Ohio "e a r Bob: Confirming our c o n v e r s a t i o n , I am sending you herew ith Dr. G ilm an 's l e t t e r t o me o f J u l y 2 , w ith a t t a c h ment. Both Dr. Gilman and M rs. liunn would be more than l e a s e d t o have your comments on th e h a z a r d s in v o lv e d in u sir.s sh e et le a d as a d e c o r a tiv e medium. Very s ir:c e re l y your s , n c jls isTi 0 0 3 n DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY W . F. COOVER, HEAD IOWA STATE C O LLEG E OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS AMES, IOWA July 2, 194-6 Dr. George Calingaert, Research Laboratories, Ethvl Corporation, 1600 West'Eight le Road, Ferndale, 20, Detroit, Michigan. Dear George, You may recall that a few years ago when vou were here we went down to visit Mrs. Munn who was using sheet lead as a decorative medium. At that time we both cautioned her about the danger of working with lead. Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Munn phoned me and told me that she had sent in a brief article to a magazine called 'Craft Horizons" on the use of sheet lead as a decorative medium. In that short article she had reproduced two very attractive photographs of the chests she had decorated. Shortly after the article was published the editor of the periodical had two letters from readers who were con cerned about the use of lead. These two letters are numbered I and II of the enclosed material which Mrs. Munn sent me. Item 3 is a cony of a note to Mrs. Munn from the editor of the periodical. Item 4 is a cony of a letter by Mrs. Munn to the editor of the periodical. As a background I misht give vou the following extract from her article to show 'hat emphasis she did place on the / danger of working with the material. In this extract the Belgian chemist she refers to is you. "My first knowledge of its danger came one day when I was working on some pieces of lead and a friend, whose husband is a chemist, seemed a bit disturbed that I was i working with this material. She told her chemist husband about my activities and from then on I had advice and counsel from some of the outstanding scientists of our country, which in itself was a thrilling adventure. These friends even brought a noted" Belgium chemist to call when he was on the campus for~a "chemistry "seminar. They all agreed that there was danger in the use of lead and they warned me to use extreme care in the way I worked with it. They said never to take my hands to ray eyes, nose or & 1 00307 2 mouth without first washing my hands well, with soar and hot water, and of course never to eat food without taking the same precaution. I was never to work with the lead if I had a cut on my hands. I had worn heavv gloves be cause the tin-snips used in cutting were big and awkward and hard for me to handle. These men cautioned me that the gloves themselves would store up poison from the lead so that even greater care should be used. Heeding all of these precautions over the period of several years during which I have worked with lead, I have had no ill effects but have found much pleasure in its pse and satisfaction in the finished results." Mrs. Murin's concern now is to heir reduce danger after the work is done. That is, she thinks it might be appropriate if she wrote a letter to the editor explaining how exposure to the finished art product might be reduced by some appropriate coat ing to the lead. May I know whether you have any suggestions on what sort of a coating or varnish might be applied to re duce the danger of exposure or contact with the lead once the art object has been completed? I made it clear to Mrs. Munn that if I got information it would be with the understanding that no names were to be quoted. She feels that she made a reasonable case in emphasizing precautions in working with the material, ^faat she would like to do now is to inform readers of the article that there may be ways of reducing the danger once the finished decorative work has been done with lead. Needless to say she might have been spared the present concern had she taken the suggestions that you and I made. It was, however, too late then because she had already started and actually completed most of the work. v-rith kind regards. Sincerely yours Ends HG:he (6-i 00308 COPY American Craftsmen's Cooperative Council,Ino. 485 Madison Ave. Hew York 22, H.Y. May 26, 1946. 3ditor, Craft Horizons: On reading Ann Leichliter Munn's article "UBing Sheet Lead As A s- Leoorative Medium", I was appalled at the casualness with which she mentions the danger attendant in the general use of this metal for decorative design. May I, for the benefit of those unwary craftsmen who are contemp lating using lead in this manner, mention a few of its "Disadvan tages" since the author has failed to do so anywhere in her arti cle. Some of the symptoms of this "very lovely experience" are- nausea, vomiting, anemia, abdominal pains, muscle cramps, and Joint pains, to say nothing of possible impairment in function of any part of the nervous system, often leading to muscle atrophy and the character istic foot and wrist drop, even brain disease. Is it any wonder her chemist friends "seemed a bit disturber''? Otherwise it was a good article and she is a beautiful crafts man. Sincerely, (Miss) Trancis C. Puller, Occupational Therapist 161 V. 16th St., Mew York 11, H.Y. To the Aiitors of Craft Horizons New York. City, H.Y. Germantown rike at Whitehall ^oad Horriston Square fennslyvania (R.D. 2 Norristown) June 6th, 1946. Gentlemen: It 68 with great indignation that OE write you concerning the very attractive article in the May issue of Craft horizons, "Using Sheet Lead as a Decorative Medium" by .-ain Leichiiter Munn. The article is so enticing and the medium so flexible that almost anyone would dive headfirst into crafting lead. The writer men- imises the terrible dangers to such a point that it is like blow ing a bit of thistledown off one's shoulder, rerhaps she has never seen anyone suffer and finally die of lead poisoning. child could iquickly become ill by just having rubbed his tiny hands several times over the design on her attractive chests and then putting * his fingers in his mouth for a moment. House painterd get what is known as "painter's colic" from having absorbed whitelead thru the skin, and yearly thousands of wild ducks die from having eaten lead shot that have dropped In shallow water. Several years ago I wax horrified to s e e A h e Philadelphia Art Alliance a beautiful bird bath of cast lead. The maker certainly couldn't have been con- 'H V?o* r',*-0 o-i "*;!? hi--ds & lethal bath and drunk. ^ _ page2- COPY In all fairness to your readers I think it would ne wise to pub lish a more definite warning against the use of lead for art pur poses, especially when in the hands of the average jperson. It is no joke to have offered a dangerous medium, with y f p possible death from its use She enclosed item from the Philadelphia Even ing Bulletin is very timely, it seems to me Yours very truly, villiam Slough American Craftsmen's educational Council 465 Vadison Avenue at 52nd Street June 13, 1946 Mrs. Ann Leichliter Sunn 726 Duff ---venue Anes, Iowa Dear ^rs. Sunn: I enclose a copy of a letter which I have just reeieved abofct lead poisoning. I think the man is an over-alarmist, but I thought that I would publish his letter in the Craftsmen's Yorum of our August issueand perhaps you would liae to answer it in advance. I would be most appreciative if you would do so. I hope that you liaed the way we ran your article and will be glad to send y7ou some extra copies if you tvould lime to have them. Yours most sincerely, -ileen V. ,'ebb Srs. Vanderbilt /ebb Vice-Yresid ent notation in longland: Jhe second letter came after I wrote this Say we have them back? i o o 3 ;o 726 Duff Avenue Aes, Iowa June 20, 1946 Mrs* Vanderbilt >'ebb American Craftsan*8 Educational Council, Inc. 485 Hadison Avenue New York,22 N.Y. / d-.."-' Dear !rs. .ebb: Thank you so much for your letter enclosing my "fan" mail. I am truly sorry if I have caused you any embarrassment by fail ing to stress more strongly the dangers of wording with lead. I am returning the letters as you requested. .lay I confr with my good chemistry friends and send you an answer to the letters? Indeed I did like the way you ran the article and I will be delighted to have extra copies, for the friend who promised to return my copy of Craft Horizons has failed to do so. I do not remember just how much was cut in publishing but as I look at the original article I feel that I did make it quite clear that there was danger in the use of lead. I did not go into all of the symptoms of lead poisoning but I did stress the preoaution8 which should be followed in using it. It seems to me that is more constructive information. Because there is danger involved in so much that a craftsman does he must always be alert. There is danger in the use and in the abuse of both materials and equipment need so that the craftsman roust, from the beginning to the conclusion of his project, use the utmost intelligence at all times. He should recognize the dangers but fill his mind with the proper meth ods of dealing with these dangers. hen using a sharp tool for wood carving he keeps in mind the fact that he must never place hi8 hand or any part of his bedy in front cf the tool but he does not think of the horrorB which would te apparent if he were to cut off a finger or run the tool into his body. very oraftsmun, or sportsman should recognize dangers and make them a part of his being but he must never let this recognition turn into fear for then he looses his ef^icency and certainly his joy of prof or .nance. The craftsman who uses power tools must follow the safety rules for their use; the hunter must know all of the rules of safety and abide by them at all times; and the horseman must respect his horse and the dangers involved but he must not have fear. But I will do so ne research ana try and answer the letters. I have never seen anyone 7/ho has suffered from lead poisoning and I am sure it is not a thing to take lightly. I did respect the oonoern my friends had for me and took their advice and have had no ill effects from my experiences in using lead.