Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17
is ETHYL GAS DEADLY?
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

filling stations from one quart steel
bottles attached to the gasoline
pumps. Motorists could have il nut
into their gas or not, as they pre-
ferred. Al the end of the year more
than 10000 filling stations had been
equipped to supply the ethyl fluid and
over 100000 gallons of ethyl gas had
been consumed. Then it was decided
to put the fluid in the gasoline at
the refinery and distribute the product
as ethyl gas.
Ten fatalities occurred among
workmen in experimental plants, but
1t is claimed that they were all in
connection with the manufacture of
tetraethyl lead and that there have
been no casualties in the distribution
of the ethyl fluid or gas.
Danger to Garage Workers.
However. il is recognized that the
new discovery presents three-fold
danger to garage workers-first from
inhaling motor exhaust: second. in
handling engine parts covered with
lead, and. third. from splitting ethyl
gas on the hands and clothes
Tetraethyl lead Is a remarkably
active poison, taking first place
among the metallic poisons" SAYS the
New York Industrial Hygiene Bulle-
tin. 1T was first made by chemists
in 1854. The symptoms are both sub
jective and objective. The patient
first complains of persistent insomnia
and usually of more or less nausea
with vomiting. He feels restless and
nervous and tired. He loses all ap.
petite and begins to lose weight.
Subjectively. one of the first symp-
toms noticed is a marked drop in
systolic blood pressure. which fire.
quently falls below 100 and sometimes
below 80. There may be some dimi
mutton in the pulse rate and in some
cases subnormal temperature. Con-
siderable anemia develops. although
no paralysis. In the extremely severe
cases there is acute delirium of sud
den onset of the type familiar with
delirium tremens. Death ensues from
exhaustion"
Lead-poisoning by inhaling exhaust
from motors using ethyl gas is said to
be a remote possibility, comparable in
probability to the chance of carbon
monoxid poisoning in the same ex-
haust gas. and the ma ximum possible
quantity of lead dust in the air would
offer less hazard than the carbon mon.
oxid hazard that exists in every ga.
rage at the present time.
There is much more danger from
the deposit of lead inside the motor
and exhaust passages. as an average
car would probably use 500 gallons of
ethyl gas in season. which would
contain 3.3 pounds Of lead. Thus II is
possible that nearly two pounds of
very finely divided and poisonous lead
would be found in the small space oc.
cupied by the cylinder and exhaust
gas passages, and this would consti.
tute very real hazard to garage me-
chanics and repairmen.
The Greatest Danger.
The third danger, that OF absorption
through the skin, is said to be the
greatest. Filling station attendants
and customers as well will spill the
motor fuel over their hands and cloth
ing. Tetraethyl lead is an oily COM
pound. readily absorbed by the skin,
and being less volatile than gasoline
it remains on the hands longer.
However, scientists are by no means
certain as to the extent of the haz.
ards of using ethyl gas.
THAT is what we hope to learn"
says DIR. Lewis r. Thompson. who is
assisting the Surgeon General in ar
ranging the conference, land 1t is our
purpose to ascertain what safeguards
should be thrown around the manufac-
ture, distribution and general use of
the gas. II there are no known safe
guards, then we shall endeavor to
evolve a program Of needed investiga.
tive work
One warning may be issued to the
general public at this time: Don't do
cleaning with motor fuel.