Tetraethyl lead (TEL) in the yard and garden
High risk for your yardTetraethyl lead (TEL, lead tetraethyl) was the primary antiknock additive in leaded gasoline from 1923 until its global phase-out (US ban phased 1973–1996; global fuel lead standards largely achieved by 2021 with Algeria as the last country eliminating leaded petrol). TEL was introduced by Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgley Jr. at General Motors, who also suppressed early evidence of its neurotoxicity from corporate researchers at the Ethyl Corporation in the 1920s. TEL is lipid-soluble and volatilizes from gasoline readily; inhalation was the primary occupational and environmental exposure route. TEL is far more acutely toxic than inorganic lead compounds: it is directly toxic to the CNS as the organic form, independent of its conversion to inorganic lead, producing an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome (tremors, insomnia, hallucinations, psychosis, and death) at high exposures. Workers at TEL manufacturing plants in the 1920s experienced mass poisonings (the Standard Oil 'loony gas' incidents of 1924) with deaths and permanent neurological injury. TEL decomposes in the atmosphere and soil to inorganic lead, representing the dominant pathway by which leaded gasoline contaminated urban soils and air for seven decades. Blood lead levels in the US population declined approximately 78% between 1976 and 1991 following the leadedgasoline phase-out — one of the largest public health achievements of the 20th century. Residual TEL-derived inorganic lead contamination persists in soil along historical roadways and in urban environments globally.
What is tetraethyl lead (tel)?
The IUPAC name is tetraethylplumbane.
Also known as: tetraethylplumbane, Tetraethyllead, Plumbane, tetraethyl-, TETRAETHYL LEAD.
- IUPAC name
- tetraethylplumbane
- CAS number
- 78-00-2
- Molecular formula
- C8H20Pb
- Molecular weight
- 323.0 g/mol
- SMILES
- CC[Pb](CC)(CC)CC
- PubChem CID
- 6511
Risk for people, pets,
High riskTetraethyl lead (TEL, lead tetraethyl) was the primary antiknock additive in leaded gasoline from 1923 until its global phase-out (US ban phased 1973–1996; global fuel lead standards largely achieved by 2021 with Algeria as the last country eliminating leaded petrol). TEL was introduced by Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgley Jr. at General Motors, who also suppressed early evidence of its neurotoxicity from corporate researchers at the Ethyl Corporation in the 1920s. TEL is lipid-soluble and volatilizes from gasoline readily; inhalation was the primary occupational and environmental exposure route. TEL is far more acutely toxic than inorganic lead compounds: it is directly toxic to the CNS as the organic form, independent of its conversion to inorganic lead, producing an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome (tremors, insomnia, hallucinations, psychosis, and death) at high exposures. Workers at TEL manufacturing plants in the 1920s experienced mass poisonings (the Standard Oil 'loony gas' incidents of 1924) with deaths and permanent neurological injury. TEL decomposes in the atmosphere and soil to inorganic lead, representing the dominant pathway by which leaded gasoline contaminated urban soils and air for seven decades. Blood lead levels in the US population declined approximately 78% between 1976 and 1991 following the leadedgasoline phase-out — one of the largest public health achievements of the 20th century. Residual TEL-derived inorganic lead contamination persists in soil along historical roadways and in urban environments globally.
Regulatory consensus
5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Tetraethyl lead (TEL). The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA CTX / NTP RoC | — | Reasonably Anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 1 positive / 4 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 1 positive / 4 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Category 6.3A (Category 2) (score: high) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where your yard encounter tetraethyl lead (tel)
- Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge areas, Drinking water from old infrastructure
- Soil Contamination — Industrial sites, Smelter areas, Battery recycling facilities
- Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Shellfish from polluted areas, Crops grown in contaminated soil
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Tetraethyl lead (TEL):
-
Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.Relative cost: 2-5×
Frequently asked questions
Is tetraethyl lead (tel) safe for your yard?
Tetraethyl lead (TEL, lead tetraethyl) was the primary antiknock additive in leaded gasoline from 1923 until its global phase-out (US ban phased 1973–1996; global fuel lead standards largely achieved by 2021 with Algeria as the last country eliminating leaded petrol). TEL was introduced by Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgley Jr. at General Motors, who also suppressed early evidence of its neurotoxicity from corporate researchers at the Ethyl Corporation in the 1920s. TEL is lipid-soluble and volatilizes from gasoline readily; inhalation was the primary occupational and environmental exposure route. TEL is far more acutely toxic than inorganic lead compounds: it is directly toxic to the CNS as the organic form, independent of its conversion to inorganic lead, producing an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome (tremors, insomnia, hallucinations, psychosis, and death) at high exposures. Workers at TEL manufacturing plants in the 1920s experienced mass poisonings (the Standard Oil 'loony gas' incidents of 1924) with deaths and permanent neurological injury. TEL decomposes in the atmosphere and soil to inorganic lead, representing the dominant pathway by which leaded gasoline contaminated urban soils and air for seven decades. Blood lead levels in the US population declined approximately 78% between 1976 and 1991 following the leadedgasoline phase-out — one of the largest public health achievements of the 20th century. Residual TEL-derived inorganic lead contamination persists in soil along historical roadways and in urban environments globally.
What products contain tetraethyl lead (tel)?
Tetraethyl lead (TEL) appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge areas (Contaminated water); Industrial sites (Soil contamination); Smelter areas (Soil contamination); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain).
Why do regulators disagree about tetraethyl lead (tel)?
Tetraethyl lead (TEL) has been classified by 5 agencies including EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Tetraethyl lead (TEL) in the outdoor app
Look up products containing tetraethyl lead (tel), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in outdoor View raw API dataSources (3)
- Needleman et al.: Deficits in Psychologic and Classroom Performance of Children with Elevated Dentine Lead Levels — NEJM Leaded Gasoline IQ Study (1979) — study
- ATSDR Toxicological Profile: Lead — TEL Antiknock Additive History, Gasoline Phase-out, Blood Lead Decline, Neurocognitive Effects, Soil Legacy Contamination (2020) — regulatory
- US EPA: Leaded Gasoline Phase-out Final Rule — Complete Ban Effective January 1, 1996; Blood Lead Trend Data; Environmental Lead Burden Reduction (1996) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →