Technical Bulletin No. 0015: A Laboratory Study of a Lead-Acetate-Tile Method for the Quantitative Measurement of Low Concentrations of Hydrogen Sulfide (AQTB)

The attached report presents the findings of the National Council’s Rutgers University project on the use of the lead-acetate-tile method in atmospheric pollution studies. This test, which had been advocated as a method for determining qualitative exposure to hydrogen sulfide, has been found to be unsuitable for long-term purposes due to the fading which occurs in blackened surfaces. Under the "exposure index" procedure developed during the studies and outlined in the report, it appears that the lead-acetate-tile method may be a valuable tool for determining approximately quantitative exposures of hydrogen sulfide. The project is now engaged in a study of the mechanism of hydrogen-sulfide-produced paint blackening, including methods of restoration.