Conclusions of the Committee on Human Health: consequences of lead exposure from automobile emissions.

In 1975, Dr. David P. Rall, Chairman of the DHEW Committee to Coordinate Toxicology and Related Programs asked that a committee of departmental experts be formed to examine and report on human health consequences of lead exposure from automobile emissions. The committee submitted its report in July 1976, and the report was circulated to experts and organizations in and outside Government for comment. The following pages contain a summary of the conclusions of the Committee. This is followed by a series of papers prepared by members of the committee and modified, where necessary, by comments received from reviewers. The Committee desires to record its thanks to the individual reviewers who devoted much time and thought to the consideration of the documents. Their work has added considerably to its value. In accordance with its mandate, the Committee focused its attention on the specific subject of the health consequences resulting from lead exposure, and the contribution of automobile emissions to such exposure. It did not therefore address itself to a consideration of the economic or other consequences resulting from a phase-out of lead in gasoline, and apart from making general comments on the chemical emissions from alternative antiknock compounds, it felt that there was not enough information available to evaluate the health consequences of these replacements for lead.