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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
VOl. 16, No. 12
EDITORIALS Tetraethyl Lead OLLOWING the unfortunate loss of life among employees of the Standard Oil Company a t Bayway, N. J., various accounts of which have appeared in the daily and technical press, there were many manifestations of hysteria in which a few scientific men had a part. Fortunately, other scientists were in a position to prevent hasty action and made remarkably clear reports for the proper guidance of boards of health. It seems well to set down here a few of the facts in the case. Tetraethyl lead, discovered in 1854, has long been known as a highly toxic substance. It is in no sense a mysterious substance, although named “mystery gas” by the daily press. In concentrated form it is about one-twentieth as potent as bichloride of mercury, and one twenty-fifth as toxic as mustard gas. The discovery that its use in gasoline would permit the employment of motors of much higher compression, and consequently of improved economy, has made it a substance of great economic importance. Data indicate that with an engine designed for high compression as much as twenty-five per cent of our petroleum can be conserved and the amount of carbon monoxide reduced, owing to the lessened consumption of fuel per motor. Tetraethyl lead is manufactured by one of our largest and most experienced makers of chemicals, who has demonstrated that this compound can be produced with safety to all who are engaged in the process. During the developmental work three men have been lost, but with a better understanding of the effects of tetraethyl lead, illness has been steadily reduced among the workmen until, like many other toxic materials, it can now be produced in large quantity with safety. Ethyl fluid is the form in which tetraethyl lead has been distributed. This is tetraethyl lead dissolved in an organic bromide or chloride, such as ethylene dibromide. This solvent is also toxic, and ethyl fluid has until now been dispensed in small cylinders sealed with a tin cap and punctured by a spike when the cylinder is inverted over an iron cup on the delivery hose at the service station. Ethyl gasoline is the material used by the motorist. The proportion of tetraethyl lead to gasoline is from one in one thousand to one in fourteen hundred, a dilution which makes a perfectly safe mixture. Such gasoline has been in public use for two years and two hundred million gallons have been dispensed by twenty thousand filling stations in twenty-two states without apparent injury or loss of life. The products of combustion contain lead compounds, principally the oxide, much of which remains in various parts of the engine and its exhaust system, but a part of which is thrown into the air. ’ Obviously, there are hazards involved: these being, first, in manufacture; second, in distribution and handling; third, in the use of the treated gasoline; and finally, the possible hazard to the public on account of the lead compounds thrown into the atmosphere. What does the evidence on these hazards indicate? Unquestionably the manufacture of tetraethyl lead is hazardous. The men engaged in this work are so informed and receive ektra compensation. Their condition is carefully watched by physicians. This type of poisoning differs from that of other lead compounds in that the tetraethyl lead
seems to enter through fatty tissues and to be deposited as such in various parts of the body, including the brain, where i t remains unchanged. It does not appear to be cumulative and disappears by way of perspiration and body fluids if the man affected is promptly removed f r o m contact with the material. The men who lost their lives were examined frequently for plumbism and forty others affected at the same time have been saved. The hazards, moreover, are not greater than in many manufacturing processes. By working in completely closed systems safety is obtainable, and perhaps the greatest hazard is the indifference which not only workmen but even chemists come to have for dangerous work with which they are familiar. Indeed, the ethyl fluid is colored to prevent men from using it as they use any other gasoline for washing hands. It has been demonstrated, however, that manufacture under strict control is possible and, as adequate supervision is constantly exercised and the dangers are known, we must look further for hazards affecting large numbers. Distribution of ethyl fluid involves a large number of men who are very likely to be careless. T o date injury to none of these men operating twenty thousand filling stations distributing ethyl gasoline has been reported. Nevertheless, the hazard is reduced by dilution to so near the vanishing point that in future no ethyl fluid will be sold as such, but ethyl gasoline ready for use will be received and dispensed as is any other gasoline. The motorist meets no hazard in the use of ethyl gas and clearly he shares only such hazards as may threaten the general public. The public wants to know how liable it is to lead poisoning from the discharge into the atmosphere of some two or three tons of lead compounds per million gallons of ethyl gasoline burned. But the public is not nearly so concerned as are the manufacturers, who realize to what extent they would be the subject of attack should it develop that the public is endangered by the use of this fuel. Consequently, a year ago investigations were begun a t the request of the manufacturers a t the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University, and independently a t the Bureau of Mines. I n addition, the company continued its own research. One investigation showed that the dust in the vicinity of the Grand Central Station in New York, where ethyl gas has never been used, contains more lead than dust from Detroit, where this fuel has been in service two years. The Bureau of Mines has announced the results of its careful investigation, during which more than one hundred animals of various types were exposed to a definite concentration of exhaust gas from an engine using ethyl gasoline, care being taken to adjust the carburetor to lower the content of carbon monoxide to less than one-half that found in the average automobile exhaust. Various examinations were made from time to time for symptoms of lead poisoning, such as colic, paralysis, loss of appetite, and loss of weight, the condition of the blood, and the possibility of stored-up lead in various body tissues. After a period of approximately eight months’ daily exposure to these conditions there was no indication of lead poisoning. The animals continued to grow and mature a t a normal rate. One of the dogs gave birth to five puppies. These were continued on test with the mother and in the course of the test matured normally. The absence of lead poisoning may be due to the small amount of lead present in the exhaust gas-air mixture. Furthermore, observations made on man by the Bureau of
December, 1924
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTEY
1213
Mines showed that most of the lead in exhaust gases coming that render its use by hospitals or institutions, or even manufrom ethyl gasoline if inhaled is again exhaled. The in- facturers, very questionable. vestigation indicates the danger of sufficient lead accumula- . The only available way to recover the alcohol values from tion in the streets through the discharge of scale from auto- miscellaneous seized liquids is through the duly qualified alcohol plants. No proprietor of an industrial alcohol plant mobile motors to be seemingly remote. We fail to find evidence, therefore, to justify even the oc- has ever been known to pay charges uecessary for assembling casional demand that no more ethyl gasoline be manufac- miscellaneous seized liquors, unpacking the containers such tured. We profoundly regret as jugs, bottles, barrels, and that the development of this cans, and subsequently diseconomically important subtilling the liquid. The reason Change of Address is apparent. The price of stance has cost the life of any molasses and corn, which are one, and it does not soften After December 20, 1924, our editorial ofprimary sources of production the blow to those bereaved to fices will be located in the Mills Building, jn this country, is less than point out that all pioneering Seventeenth Street and Pennsylvania Avethe charges entailed in the has been accompanied with a nue, Washington, D. C. The change is made assembling of a miscellaneloss of life. The price having for the convenience of many readers who deous assortment of containers. now been paid, and lessons sire to call upon the Secretary of the SOCIETY learned which might not have Furthermore, no industrial aland us when in Washington and, with both been learned without it, would coho1 man is willing to contamoffices in the same building, their time will be it not be folly to discontinue inate his apparatus with such conserved. Note the new address, and be a mixture. the use of the material after assured of the welcome awaiting you. When it is considered that such sacrifice? We see no reathe capacity of a redistilling son to discontinue the use of kettle will run from 5000 to ethyl gasoline, for it has a clean 15,000 gallons, it is readily record in use. If we wish to do something really worth while, let us find a way to pro- apparent that a 200- or 300-gallon mixture of assorted liquids tect the public against the deadly carbon monoxide which is a ridiculous commercial proposition and that in most cases takes its frequent victims. However, the case is not closed such recoveries are both impractical and uneconomical. and the investigation is being continued by the Bureau of Mines and others equipped to conduct such investigations. to The literature shows that lead is a substance to be watched carefully. Legge and Goadly, in one of the International ITHIN the past few weeks two announcements of Medical Monograph Series on lead poisoning and lead abunusual importance to American chemists have apsorption, stress the toxicity of all lead compounds and state peared in the press. that lead coming in contact with the membranes of the resElizabeth R, Frasch, the widow of Herman Frasch, made a piratory system is far more dangerous than ingested lend. will on December 27, 1923, which has recently been filed for But in our investigation of potential lead poisoning for the probate in the New York County Surrogate,s Court, and public at large, let us not forget that there are many sources which provides: of lead dusts. We cannot single out tetraethyl lead for atAll the residue of my real and personal property, I give, devise tack but must reconsider t h e i s e of lead paints in view of and bequeath to the United States Trust Company, 43 Wall the data on the occurrence of lead in the dust of the average Street, New York, in trust, having for the purpose to use the city. fund for chemical research, which fund shall be known as the We would like to see a larger number of those qualified Herman Frasch Foundation for Chemical Research. I direct to conduct thorough investigations of the possibility of lead that such trustee shall hold, manage, invest and reinvest said poisoning become interested in this particular problem, do fund, collect rents, issues and profits thereof, and after paying proper charges and expenses, pay over the net income therefrom their work independently, and submit their results to an to one or more incorporated institutions in the United States impartial group for interpretation. I n the interim, there which shall be selected by the said trustee after advising with the SOCIETY, upon the condition that the said seems to be nothing to justify the hysterical statement that AMERICANCHSMICAL we are threatened with the same fate which overtook those institutions shall agree that the money so received shall be devoted to research in the field of agricultural chemistry with the in contact with the highly concentrated material. It is hope of attaining results which shall be of practical benefit to a n instance where we would do well to keep our feet on the the agricultural development of the United States. ground and not lose our heads. Herman Frasch will be remembered as the chemical engineer whose first important work was the perfection of a method for removing objectionable sulfur from petroleum, ' and thereby enormously increasing the value of much of the oil HE occasional press notice relative to the destruction of from the Ohio and Canadian fields. This was followed by a certain stocks of confiscated alcoholic liquors brings to daring piece of engineering, which resulted in making availus the suggestion that ways should be devised to redistil able the vast deposit of sulfur lying far beneath the surface this material and conserve a t least the alcohol which now of the earth in Louisiana and Texas. It seems fitting that appears to be lost. To those who have thought of this as chemistry, having served to provide for Herman Frasch and the prevention of waste, the following points will be of his family, shQuld, now that there is no further need, itself interest. be served by the application of the income from the wealth Confiscated alcohol or aged whisky of known purity can be accumulated (amounting to several millions of dollars) to the disposed of by order of court to lawful permittees and, as a pursuit of research in one of our most important fields of matter of fact, this is frequently done. There is a consider- endeavor. The will of Andrew W. Preston, late president of the United able question as t o the known purity of a large quantity of confiscated liquor and a great deal of it is definitely known to Fruit Company, has been made public in Boston. This be contaminated to a greater or less degree with substances will, which disposes of an estate estimated to be worth be-
From Chemistry
Waste
Alcohol
Chemistry
1214
IhTDUSTRIALA N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
Vol. l F , No. 12
tween six and seven million dollars, provides several individ- this staff may be found there is no corner on ability, and howual bequests amounting to a few thousand dollars, and ever noteworthy their accomplishments this does not justify states that the balance shall be administered by trustees for inference that other chemists are unable to render equally the benefit of the widow, the daughter, and the grand- valuable service. children, and in case of “a total default of issue, the fund to be used for advancing the science of chemistry in the One Hundred Per Cent Sections United States.” There is a growing tendency among men and women of H E Washington and Rochester Sections have committees wealth to consider how best to apply that wealth for the to make certain that one hundred per cent of the membetterment of the public. In times past other woIthy ac- bership of their sections contribute to the endowment fund. tivities have received most of the support, but we are begin- In Rochester at least one of the committee members has secured ning to reap the fruits of our effort to have people generally a subscription of one dollar or more from every one of the men better understand and appreciate the relationships of chem- on his list. The Washington committee is well under way. istry to our present and future activities. A comparison of the amounts subscribed by various local It is most encouraging that hlrs. Frasch looked upon the sections might place the smaller sections in an unfavorable SOCIETY as a proper agency to direct light, but there can be no injustice in a comparison of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL the expenditure of large funds for the prosecution of research. percentage of the membership which takes part in this present Some of us have long felt that no organization is better important; movement. One of the surest ways to make the equipped to perform such service. The AMERICAN CHEMICALmost of the opportunity afforded through the generosity of SOCIETY includes in its membership representatives of all those milling to subscribe a dollar for every member who branches of chemistry, and business men whose work is subscribes one dollar or more, is for our local sections, which founded upon the science of chemistry. True, a great re- at best do not include our entire membership, speedily to sponsibility is involved, but there need be no fear but that place themselves in the one hundred per cent column. What this responsibility will be regarded as a sacred duty and per- is your section doing about it? formed with the utmost care and devotion. We may properly hope that others, considering how best to use funds which have come into their possession, may Long Step follow the examples set. H E development of the modern laundry is so recent that most of us can still point to establishments where the old admonition “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here” “Chemist” to an Industry could properly be placed over its receiving counter. But in OR the last five years various groups have consistently the last few years that portion of the industry which is known endeavored to awaken in the textile industry apprecia- as the Laundryowners National Association and which suption of the value of applied chemistry. There are enough ports a department of research has made such progress that instances of textile manufacturers successful with the aid of we consider it worthy of special note. It is a long step from chemistry to lead us to wonder why others have been so re- the use of such “chemicals” as might be advocated by various luctant to give the scientist his opportunity. Recent adver- salesmen to the appearance of the second edition of a “Manual tisements appearing in the Southern Textile Bulletin over of Standard Practice for the Power Laundry Washroom,” the signature of Chas. E. Carpenter (of E. F. Houghton & which has recently been issued by the association. It is a Company, Philadelphia), who apparently aspires to become further illustration of the earning power of research, as well as the Elbert Hubbard of industrial advertising, lead us to won- a testimonial to the utility and value of cooperative research. der if it is the attitude and the statements of such a man Here is an industry composed of thousands of small units, which have so long delayed a proper codperation between scattered far and wide. Few of these units could individually the textile manufacturer and the chemical profession. The support research on a basis sufficiently adequate to get the two advertisements which we find particularly offensive are results needed, and yet all may participate in this work entitled “Science, An Eruption by Chas. E. Carpenter’’ and without entering into competition but with the assurance “Good Business, An Advertisement by Chas. E. Carpenter,” that the proper and faithful application of results obtained and convey such an erroneous and harmful impression of the will help the whole industry, as well as its individual members. chemist’s place in industry as to call forth a signed protest The manual does not hesitate to introduce simple chemical from chemists themselves and adverse editorial comment by formulas, to discuss qualitative and quantitative analysis as contemporary journals. applied to some of the materials employed in the washroom, The wisdom of making that which can be purchased is and to give scientifically correct information on the treatquestioned and an attack is made on the chemists for what ment of water, on the examination of soaps, and on the conthey have done in providing for their mills materials which trol of bleaching. It discusses bluing, starche’s, and high another manufacturer offers for sale. Whether or not a plant temperatures with their effect upon cloth. Its information on should make the specialties it needs is entirely a question of corrosion and heat insulation will be of value to all who read economics and patents. I n our own experience we have been it, while the standard formulas for washroom practice and offered carbon tetrachloride at ten times the market price the discussion of the sanitary condition of power laundry under a fancy name for the cleaning of leather belts. We output indicate what is being done to rid this industry of certainly would have been subject to severe censure had we harmful practices. With their disappearance, confidence will recommended such purchase. Should a chemist stand by and replace prejudice. There are many associations to which one may point as allow his employer to purchase a boiler compound at several times the price for which it can be prepared in the laboratory? examples of successful cooperative research, but there are There is nothing to support the attitude taken in the ad- many more who would find it valuable to study the experience vertisements in question, and a continuation of such state- of the Laundryowners National Association and who could ments as have been made cannot fail to have an adverse enjoy a proper pride when their work has advanced to the reaction. The assertions made regarding the staff of the point where results can be set down in a similarly definite company might bear investigation. However competent and concrete fashion.
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