February 28, 1969

Mre. Clara G. Schiffer

Program Analyst

Division of Health Services

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Children's Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Mre. Schiffer:

Thank you very much for your letter of February 24th.
I realize that the sentence you quoted conveys an impression which is
both incorrect and unintended on my part mamely that lead paint is no
longer a hazard. In fact as the article was originally drafted I had
intended to point out the acumulative burden of exposure to lead from
old paint and the atmospheric load which is, of course, far above
average in urban centers. This was, however, set aside under pressure
of space.

I am grateful to you for the specific information on lead as an
urban contaminant and I have to tell you that many of my medical
collegues are equally in need of such reminders. The San Francisco
area, I might guess (or is it just a myth?) may be relatively free of
this burden since so much of its housing is relatively new. In any rate
I did find a real discrepancy in the points of view expressed in
several pediatric text books as compared to comments from some of ny
colleagues. It might help if some experts on pediatric lead poisoning
were to write editorials in the various journals.

I have also mentioned this subject to a task force on urban health
being organized by Dr. George Silver under the auspices of the urban
coalition. I would urge you to send him all relevant material for
consideration by that task force.

Then finally if there is any other technical information on lead as
environmental hazard that you can dig out for me from HEW sources I would
be grateful for it. In general I would be enclined to be even more alarmed
about the possibility of chronic unrecognized damage to large numbers of
children than about the more isolated spectacular examples of acute
encephalopathy.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

P.S. Just glancing over the note by Dr. Jacobziner I have to wonder whether
his assertion is justified that racial differences in incidence do not includ
genetic factors. It is precisely in the carrier states for Sickle cell anemia

aa dane:

e

over
and for G6PD-defect, which are much more numerous in the negro
population, that I would expect te find an idiosyncratic sensitivity
to lead. If you are aware of any research on this point I would

be particularly interested.