Document x1gR6y9pB9NXnVr44E2gwNveE

June 12, 1961 E. Aonzo, M.D. Esso Standard Italiana Societ Per Azioni Sede Centrale in Genova Genova li Via Assarottl, 40 Dear Doctor Aonzo: I am entirely willing, of course, to give you and Professor Vlgliani any possible assistance in meeting the problem with which you are presented. I cannot alter the opinions which I have on t M s subject, however, and I believe I should express them for what they may be worth ,to the Management of your Company. First, let me point out that the relative toxicity, per se , of TI.iL, as compared to TEL is entirely unimportant in this matter excepting as it relates to the people who may have some exposure to the concentrated antiknock preparation. That is, this problem is important only in relation to the hazards of the manufacture of TEL, the blending of the antiknock fluid, and the mixing of the latter with gasoline. Therefore we are studying TML to determine the nature and extent of the differences that may exist between it and TEL with respect to their behavior distribution in the tissues, metabolic fate in the tissues, and elimination from the body - in the animal organism. This is a long and tedious job, which will have cost the manufacturing industries more than $100,000 by the end of this year (we did part of the work last year). It would be foolish and very wasteful to repeat this, and I repeat that this information has very little to do with the theoretical problem of the public risk. As to the public health, the only problem of significance is the one which we have investigated and are continuing to investigate - namely the extent of their exposure to TML as it occurs in commercial gasoline. There is no way to do this except in the general manner by which we have proceeded (i.e. by some modification of our procedure). This is to say that one must determine the effects, if any, which are actually being sustained by the people who are exposed to the potential hazard. No other answer will be worth the paper on which it is recorded. The dose required to kill an experimental animal has nothing whatever to do with this matter. I am not sure that you will be able to convince anyone of the truth of these matters, but there is simply no question as to their validity. I hope, therefore, that you will be able to avoid the waste of time and money that will be involved in the repetition of our work, or that which would be worse the conduct of elaborate and irrelevant toxicological experiments. 0003023 / E. Aonzo, M,D 2 - June 12, 1961 I shall be glad to send any and all information, with respectto methods, to Vigliani. I'll send him a report of what we have done andhow we have done it. With this information at hand, he can design his own experiments either to correspond - and therefore to check our results - or to vary them in such a way as to supplement our work. I'll ask for a progress report from our staff and send it, with a copy to you, as soon as wecan get it together. I shall see that the answers to the questions which you have raised shall be answered in the report. . It is pleasant to hear from you on any account, but I regret that our correspondence does not deal with more pleasant and productive matters. Sincerely yours, Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. RAK:ss /< 0003025