Organic lead (tetraethyl lead) is used as an antiknock agent in gasoline and jet fuels. Tetraethyl lead has been used since the 1920s, but over the years it was discovered to be toxic and has been phased out in most areas of the world. The 2002 Earth Summit advocated for the total ban of leaded gasoline in all countries. In 2012, we launched TetraBOOST ‘E’ Guard 15, which added protection against ethanol corrosion to the proven performance formulation of the original product. Environment UK company sells lead to last place on Earth where leaded petrol is legal. By the year 2006, leaded gasoline was expected to be eliminated worldwide. Tetraethyl lead is absorbed rapidly by the skin, the lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract. Tetraethyl lead: a toxic history The compound tetraethyl lead was first put into petrol in 1922 when American chemist Thomas Midgley discovered that it helped the fuel burn more slowly and smoothly. Tetraethyl Lead served two purposes in gasoline: to raise the octane and to lubricate soft valve seats in a cars engine to prevent valve damage. Tissue distribution studies of lead in rats and dogs exposed to lethal inhalation doses of tetraethyl lead (TEL) or tetramethyl lead (TML) and in men fatally poisoned by TEL revealed lead (Pb) levels of 0.7-13.0 mg/100 g tissue in lung, brain, liver and kidney in three species. It is converted to triethyl lead, which might be responsible for its toxicity. TetraBOOST was launched in 2000 and has been the UK’s best and most effective fuel additive ever since. The literature indicates that petrol containing tetraethyl lead accounted for 75 per cent of total consumption in the former USSR. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (592K), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. The federal investigation found, from rushed and limited experiments with flawed conclusions, that the addition of tetraethyl lead to petrol was not likely to be harmful to the health of the general public, and that its production and sale could be resumed. Essences avec tétraéthyle de plomb. Human Pb levels in brain, liver and kidney resembled those seen in corresponding rat and dog tissues. Full text Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Petroleum spirit containing tetraethyl lead. D'après les informations disponibles, le carburant au tétraéthyle de plomb représentait 75 % de la consommation totale dans l'ex-URSS.