Proceedings of a conference to determine whether or not there is a public health question in the manufacture, distribution, or use of tetraethyl lead gasoline / Prepared by direction of the surgeon general.

  • United States. Public Health Service.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Proceedings of a conference to determine whether or not there is a public health question in the manufacture, distribution, or use of tetraethyl lead gasoline / Prepared by direction of the surgeon general. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ments is always a matter of doubt because of certain variations in the physiological mechanisms of different organisms, and because of unavoidable variation in the manner and rate of introduction of the material in question into the tissues of various animals. The interpretation of the hazard existing from the handling and use of | “ethyl gasoline,’ in terms of animal experimentation is doubly questionable, because it is impossible to duplicate the actual conditions under which such handling occurs. An attempt was made to err on the side of an increased exposure of animals over that likely to occur. Whether or not that was accom- plished is a matter of judgment. In this situation the advisability of making observations in the actual field of operations suggested itself months ago. Accordingly arrangements were made for the careful taking of histories of exposure, the making of careful physical examinations, and the analyses of specimens of urine and feces of a considerable number of men who had been exposed to actual conditions over a considerable period of time. The oppor- tunity to do this was present in that employees of the General Motors research garage and of the Dayton Power & Light Co. and of the Refiners Oil Co. of Dayton had been exposed to all the conditions which could possibly bring danger of lead poisoning from the distribution and use of ethyl gasoline and from the use and mechanical care of cars using ethyl gasoline, and over a con- siderable period of time. (It must not be supposed that these men had been carelessly allowed to assume these dangers without any knowledge of them, or without medical observation at regular intervals. The fact remains, how- ever, that the early methods of use and distribution of ethyl gasoline were of such a sort as to present hazards of such a magnitude as will never exist under the present methods of use and distribution.) Full data are available as to the histories of exposure, the physical findings, and the clinical symptoms of these men. Analytical data will be presented on as many of them as are now available. The following table presents in brief the items of importance found in the analysis of these data: Persons examined General Motors research garage: MIGGRATICS vee Boo ek Re ea a ee ee if Handlers of ethyl gasoline_---_---------__-------------------------- i PCE etn ee IAD RD IEE: APR 0d EARS DEAS TE A ES en an ere ee 3 otal, oo (c:. oticeses. aivgteloe gl 3 i oe oe es ple ee ee 5 Refiners Oil Co. at Dayton: Handlers of. ethyl gasoline... ---. 246. ee 2 Dayton Power & Light Co.: PNPOOT MCs ne A AO ee ie ee D Handlers of ethyl gasoline-_-__.--_-----.----------+----------------- 2 Drivers 20000 lo pe ea ee eh oe a eee ee ee 16 Bota ied AeA DALIT AA SE SONS od a OL Shhh. Sh See 23 History as to exposure Not less. than. 2 .vearsu.. 24.25 223 5. oe oo eee 26 NRE Tees ota: Tyee os ee - - s == eee 3 pat Less than, 1 .year._.....~-4~=+-4-+-—46-3-4 33 = pn ene = Total “number ‘exposed lou... eee oo 22 30