Urinalyses for lead can now be run routinely and cheaply and with sufficient accuracy by polarographic or spectrographic methods Lead tetraethyl and other lead alkyls are likely to be much more rapidly progressive as poisons than the nonvolatile compounds and are much more likely to attack the nervous system than to produce gastroin testinal symptoms.

1S22726 FOREIGN LEAD PLANTS discharged from the tetraethyl lead buildings is of the order of 6 lbs* per unit of equipment.

This, as you will recognize, is not true of tetraethyl lead, but that is quite another matter.

Thole, regarding the use of leaded fuel in army stoves, which D r .

Laboratories at Carshalton, has informed me that a joint report on the comparative studies that they have been doing with TetraEthyl Lead and TetraMethyl Lead will be published in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine and I shall arrange to have a copy of this forwarded to you when it becomes available.

Laboratories at Carshalton, has informed me that a joint report on the comparative studies that they have been doing with TetraEthyl Lead and TetraMethyl Lead will be published in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine and I shall arrange to have a. copy of this forwarded to you when it becomes available.

sorbed rapidly and completely so that poi soning will develop from much lower doses It is not even necessary that the compound penetrate deeply into the respiratory system It has been demonstrated experimentally that lead compounds are absorbed rapidly and completely from the nasal passages when they have no chance to go either into the digestive system or deeper into the respira tory system Prevention of lead poisoning is almost en tirely a matter of good housekeeping and dust control To prevent ingestion, food or drinks should not be taken into workrooms where lead compounds are handled The metal is essentially harmless Al though it can be vaporized at high tempera tures, such temperatures are not usually attained in casting, soldering, or heat treating baths Casting and soldering pots should have local exhaust hoods to get nd of lead vapor or lead compounds which may be earned off with volatile fluxes It is at least equally im portant that the surface of the lead be kept free from dross and that the dross container be enclosed under the same hood so that dross can be removed from the pot and the container covered and removed, all under ex haust Likewise, on large soldenngjobs the solder ing operation should be locally exhausted, pnmarily to prevent nose and throat lmtation from acid fluxes More important, the fur naces used for heating the soldenng irons should be exhausted because m these fur naces considerable lead is invariably oxidized Assembly of battery plates and burning on of the connectors should be done on grilletop tables with down-draft ventilation This installation plus regular air sampling to en sure control of contamination, and physical examinations to keep track of lead absorption by employees, can eliminate lead poisoning from battery plants The poisoning produced by inhalation of solid inorganic lead compounds commonly causes symptoms of lead colic and lead anemia Shpple cells or other readily stained cells in the circulating blood are good indi cators of lead absorption, although not so good as the direct measurement of lead con tent of the blood or unne Urinalyses for lead can now be run routinely and cheaply and with sufficient accuracy by polarographic or spectrographic methods Lead tetraethyl and other lead alkyls are likely to be much more rapidly progressive as poisons than the nonvolatile compounds and are much more likely to attack the nerv ous system than to produce gastrointestinal symptoms These effects are probably typical of the volatile lead compounds, none of which is common in industry See Industrial Data Sheet 443 and Hygienic Guide Lethanes --see Thiocyanates (aliphatic).

The metal is essentially harmless Although it can be vaporized at high temperatures, such temperatures are not usually attained in cast ing, soldering, or heat treating baths Casting and soldenng pots should have local exhaust hoods to get nd of lead vapor or lead compounds which may be carried off with volatile fluxes It is at least equally important that the surface of the lead be kept free from dross and that the dross container be enclosed under the same hood so that dross can be removed from the pot and the container covered and removed, all under exhaust Likewise, on large soldenng jobs the solder ing operation should be locally exhausted, pnmarily to prevent nose and throat lmtation from acid fluxes More important, the fur naces used for heating the soldenng irons should be exhausted because m these furnaces considerable lead is mvanably oxidized Assembly of battery plates and buming-on of the connectors should be done on gnlle-top tables with down-draft ventilation This in stallation plus regular air sampling to ensure control of contamination, and physical ex aminations to keep tiack of lead absorption by employees, can eliminate lead poisoning from battery plants The poisoning produced by inhalation of solid inorganic lead compounds commonly causes symptoms of lead colic and lead ane mia Stipple cells or other readily stained cells in the circulating blood are good indi cators of lead absorption, although not so good as the direct measurement of lead con tent of the blood or urine Urinalyses for lead can now be run routinely and cheaply and with sufficient accuracy by polarographic or spectrographic methods Lead tetraethyl and other lead alkyls are likely to be much more rapidly progressive as poisons than the nonvolatile compounds and are much more likely to attack the nervous system than to produce gastrointestinal symp 1152 toms These effects are probably typical of the volatile lead compounds, none of which is common in industry Lethanes--see Thiocyanates (aliphatic).

The effects of this basic information are three-fold; it furnishes a practical and useful estimate of the gross influence of present day methods in handling, processing and distributing food materials upon the level of human lead absorption and excretion outside the lead trades, and thereby provides a basis for the recognition of future alterations in the American environment with respect to lead exposure; it sets up accurate and reproducible standards for the differentiation of "normal" persons from abnormal, with respect to lead intake, absorption and excretion thereby giving material aid in the diagnosis of lead intoxication; it establishes a tentative but immediatel; KZ 0u;*i <1 4 *,,-v **1 4 3 useful criterion for the definition of dangerous occupational conditions as to lead exposure, and so develops Into a means for the prevention of Industrial lead poisonings As a part of the lead studies the hygienic significance of the distilbutlon and use of gasoline containing tetraethyl lead as a motor fuel, has been under investigation* In fact, the necessity of setting up standards for the interpretation of this problem in public and occupational health has been an important factor in determining the scope of the entire study* At present, this laboratory is the only source of new Information on this subject, and its conclusions have a viide influence in this country and abroad in shaping the point of view and the activities, with respect to this question, of those who are responsible for industrial and public hygiene.

I might point out that this problem, in one aspect of another, has been recognised by us for more than twenty-five years, as the pri mary problem of the entire tetraethyl lead industry.

Chaaplin, Director of our Public Bo 1stIons Departasnt, who have had considerable experience In our Corporation's policies regarding the subjeot of pub licity of our product, tetraethyl lead.

We are not yet prepared to report on the possible exposure KE 0022384 -3- which may come about in tanks which have been used for blending and storing leaded gasoline, exposure which may conceivably arise from the slow decomposition of tetraethyl lead in the mixed gasoline or from the frequent carry-over of small amounts of sludge entrained v/ith the Ethyl Fluid.

We are not yet prepared to report on the possible exposure 0022384 3- - which may come about in tanks which have been used for blending and storing leaded gasoline, exposure which may conceivably arise from the slow decomposition of tetraethyl lead in the mixed gasoline or from the frequent carry-over of small amounts of sludge entrained v/ith the Ethyl Fluid.

The composition of the present ETEYL Fluid containing .75 theories of bromine is as follows on a weight percentage basis:- Tetraethyl Lead * Ethylene Dibromide Ethylene Dichloride Kerosene and impurities Dye 61.69 26.88 7.55 3 .76 .12 The specific gravity at 20 C. is 1.6475.

ARRANGE "TO BE PRESENT STOP JF NOTV" "f 5 PLEASE SUGGEST CAPABLE' EXPERT ON TETRAETHYL LEAD' POISON!