Document rBMydRZdbG8o91x5wZ4z0bgpV

OCSUAI M EDI CAL REPORT ON ETH YL. CONTAM I NATED OI LY Dr. Kehoe determined the fatal dose DEPOSI TS. of lead for rabbits as follows : Cur ipound. lutr aveiioua. Cutaneous O nil RI SKS TO BARE HANDS Load tetr aethyl ir kilo of body w ei ght ...................... L ead chloride 0. 014 01111:1per kilo of body The following is the second section oi weight-- ............ the medical report on ethyl petrol which has been prepared for " The Daily Mail ' Lead nit rate grain per kUoof body V '- lgdiL .................... by Dr. Myer Coplans, D.S.O.. O.B.E., the 0.015 O.O U _ eminent research worker. I t is based on l i e states that an animal died after his own personal experiments and data breathing air containing approximately supplied by the Research Association of 0.182 mg. of lead tetraethyl per litre of British Motor and Allied Manufacturers, air daily for six hours for about throe who carried out a scientific analysis of ex clays. Eldridge, of the United Elates haust gases from motor engines. Chemical Warfare Service, placed the The first section appeared yesterday. lethal concentration of lead tetraethyl By DR. MYER COPLANS, D.S.O. for mice by inhalation at 5.11 mg. per l i tre. I t will be noted in the description of I t will be seen from the above table the examination of the exhaust appa of solubilities that lead bromide is ratus of the several vehicles under test nearly as soluble in water as lead with ethyl petrol that the leaded de chloride, and that the latter, when in posits were in many cases found to be jected into the circulatory system of firmly adherent, and could only be animals (rabbits) is found to be almost scraped away by the use of steel or iron identically as poisonous as lead tetra- i instruments in order that the underly ethyl. ; ing metal surfaces might be examined. VOLATILE LEAD. 5 A number of the samples sent to me for the purpos of examination are in the form of a dry powder. The intensely poisonous character of! lead tetraethyl has been proved; but it* is claimed by the makers that when thisj Mechanics or garage hands engaged in cleaning or overhauling a car follow material is diluted with petrol for uses as motor fuel (as in the form of ethyl] ing the use of ethyl petrol are therefore exposed to an occupational lead dust risk with danger to health, and in this connection it is important to note that in the official regulations relating to the lead paint industry, dry rubbing or scraping of painted surfaces containing lead is specifically prohibited. I t i3 petrol), with attention to certain rules; and precautions in handling, littlej danger is to be apprehended .because off tho. great dilution in the spirit. Refer-! eneo to the table of analyses [i n yester-l day's paper] will show that both in thei case of the medium-powered par and! the motor-cycle I have found volatile further provided that all dbris pro lead (lead tetraethyl) to be present in duced by rubbing down or scraping of the crank case oil to the extent of 0.062 any such painted surface shall be re per cent, and 0.078 per cent-, respec moved before it becomes dry. tively, while in the sludge from the In these regulations (Lead. Paint Re medium-powered car. lead teraethyl was gulations, 1827) i t is laid down that **lead found to be present to the extent of pai nt" means any paint, paste, spray, 2.34 per cent., this amount being 14D stopping, or filling, 'or other material times as great as is the case with a used in painting which yields to an similar weight of ethyl petrol. aqiieous solution of hydrochloric acid Again, in the case of- the washings a quantity of soluble lead compound ex (with benzol) of the chain sprocket of ceeding. when calculated as lead mon the motor-cycle employed in these tests, oxide, five per cent, of the dry weight tetraethyl lead was found to be present of the portion taken for analysis. to the extent of 0.327 per cent. These By reference to the results of the washings represent a great dilution of analyses of the several deposits sub the material actually removed from the mitted to me for examination i t will washed parts of the motor-cycle, and be seen that the proportion of lead pre therefore the concentration of lead sent considerably exceeds the minimal tetraethyl in the material before being limits laid down for lead paint, and that washed off must have been many times if these materials were being handled greater than that contained in the ethyl by s painter the Lead Paint Rgula* petrol. - tions, 1927, would automatically apply to the industry for the protection of the health of the worker immediately con cerned, in this instance the mechanic or garage employee. No handling with th* bare hands, by any person, man or woman, of these oily deposits and contaminated parts should be permitted or undertaken, by reason of the intense concentration i n the oily SP RAYED FROM EXH AUSTS. contents of iead tetraethyL I t is within the power of the Home RIS K OF EVAPORATION. Secretary under Part 4 (Sections 73-86) of the Factory and Workshops Act, 190i, which relates to dangerous and un healthy industries, to frame a special code of regulations applicable to mechanics and workshops, garage workers, and garages having to deal with cars using ethyl or other form of leaded petrol, and, in any case, i t is obviously too dangerous for women and young persons to~be employed in such garages or workshops, whether as cleaners or otherwise, in the absence of such regulations, on account, of the presence of lead dust. I t will be noted that in the Lead Paint Regulations, 1927, i t is. expressly forbidden to apply lead paint in the form of a spray in the interior painting of buildings, yet i t must' not be for gotten that the motor exhaust.from a car using ethyl petrol is delivering lead into the atmosphere in the form of a I Although it is known that much of the oil used in lubrication is burnt off dur ing the gas explosions in the cylinders, a certain quantity escapes to the ground and there acts a3 a local source of lead pollution. I t may so affect water sup plies in that water subsequently perco lating or washing the contaminated ground readily becomes contaminated with water soluble lead in a highly dan gerous degree of pollution. I would here point out the danger of evaporation from a vessel containing ethyl petrol--as may occur with a loose stopper--so leading to an increased con centration of lead tetraethyl in the un evaporated spirit-in a highly dangerous degree. This is shown by the following experiment conducted at ai r tempera ture (60deg. F .): Per centage of spirit evaporated. - C oncentr ation of le*d tetr aethyl I n the unevapomted portion. fine spray from the.exhaust pipe. The / grounds for prohibition of the *use of spraying are based on the danger of in halation of lead dust to the person in the immediate proximity of the spray, 37.5 51.5 65 ' 1 .5 5 1.9 2.55 'but there can be no distinction drawn - 74 " 2.9 between the workman engaged at his 94 3.0 calling and the passer-by. There are M 1 1 .2 7 even more cogent grounds for prohibits 96.3 - 14.55 V . ing the spraying of the atmosphere of I t''w il l be seen that when the spirit ' the streets by_ the leaded exhaust of is half evaporated the lead -tetraethyl motor-cars using leaded petrol, for the content is almost doubled in strength, dust present in this discharge contains there having been but very slight eva considerable quantities of lead bromide. poration of the lead compound. When H% 00012 o co LEAD BROMIDE DANGER. The particular danger attaching to lead bromide is that thi s material is soluble in water, and its power to cause chronic lead poisoning is therefore cor respondingly increased. The extent of the presence of lead bromide in the several deposits is shown by a reference three-fourths of the spirit has been evaporated the strength of lead tetraethyl in the spirit remaining in the vessel is nearly threefold, and as eva poration continues until 97 per cent, of the total spirit has disappeared into the air the degree of concentration of the tetraethyl remaining in the liquid resi to the analyses I have made [mentioned due in the vessel is 15 times as great as yesterday], wherein i t will be seen that that originally present. the qua'ntity of lead bromide present in The degree of danger in handling this a deposit obtained from the exhaust material is yi direct proportion to the pipe of the medium-powered car reaches quantity and degree of concentration of 27.3 per cent. , lead tetraethyl present in the remaining All lead compounds more or less are to liquid. This increase of danger may be regarded as poisonous, although the take place at any lime owing to the intensity of the action `depends on the amount absorbed. For this, its solubility slightest of causes--namely, a loose or ill-fitting stopper to the vessel in which in water or in weak acids (hydrochloric ethyl' petrol is stored. I t i3. therefore, acid of the gastric juice) is the simplest dangerous to allow ethyl spirit to dry According to this test acetate of lead, upon tha skin. lead chloride, carbonate of lead (white lead), oxide of lead (lead dross), and ANGLO-AM ERICAN CO.' S V I EW . minium (red oxide of lead) are relatively the most poisonous. L eadsulphate and lead iodide are to be regarded as rela ! tively less poisonous, though by no means innocuous. The least poisonous, if not altogether innocuous, is sulphide Mr. Francis E. Powell, chairman-of the Anglo-American Oil Co., writes to The (Daily il f atf : The Government has appointed a com mittee of eminent scientists to investigate ethyl petrol, and in-view of this vre teel ; of iead, because i t is an insoluble lead i t would bo improper, to say the least of 1compound. ` it, for ns to anticipate their findings by