News and Views

Abstract

ETHYL petrol—the only motor spirit on the market which contains any lead compound—is, after all, adjudged to be not so deleterious when used under proper safeguards as has been feared in some well-informed quarters. The Departmental Committee which was charged with the examination of the question has issued a unanimous interim report in which it states that, having considered the experimental work which has been done in America, and the evidence which it has itself taken, and having discussed the matter with high officials of the United States Public Health Service, it has reached the conclusion that the findings of the United States Government Committee were justified, and that further experience has supported its conclusion that there are no reasons for prohibiting the use of ethyl petrol. The British Committee does not minimise the risks of using either ethyl or ordinary petrol when ordinary safeguards, such as proper ventilation in garages, are lacking, but it believes that provided ethyl petrol is used solely as a motor fuel, and not for such purposes as cooking or cleaning, its use does not involve a special risk. The dangers attending the manufacture of lead tetraethyl for incorporation into the ‘ethyl fluid,’ and even the operation of mixing the fluid with petrol, are, of course, in another category. The former operation is not carried out in Great Britain, but in the United States of America it proceeds under proper regulations; the latter stage in the preparation is carried out in Great Britain at nine stations, where the precautions suggested by the United States Committee are observed in all respects, and the arrangements are such that the health of the workers is fully safeguarded.