ABSTRACT
The dominant use of organolead compounds is in the form of tetraalkyllead compounds as antiknock additives to gasoline. The relative composition of tetraalkyllead compounds in samples from different manufacturers shows great variation. During combustion in the engine, the greater part of R4Pb is converted to lead halogenides and oxide, which are partly deposited in combustion chamber, the exhaust pipe and the muffler, whereas the remainder escapes in the form of particles with the exhaust to the ambient air. One possible pathway for trialkylplumbyl radical is its transformation to a trialkyllead salt. A single study indicates that diethyl- and triethyllead salts may be present in modest amounts in the exhaust. Most investigations in larger cities in Europe indicate that the ratio between vapor R4Pb and particulate lead is typically in the range of 5 to 10%. Between 20 and 60% of the particulate lead emitted from cars will be deposited near the source; the remainder stays airborne for longer distances.
