apos;s firing power (higher octane) was accomplished using several different additives, however, lead was chosen by the powerful self-interests for the job. General Motors developed tetraethyl lead (TEL) knowing it had the opportunity to patent the product and control its manufacture through its Ethyl Corporation.
             Unlike the new automotive related industries in the early 1920s, the fireproofing industry was well established by the time Monokote was introduced. Concrete had been used prior to the sprays, but proved more costly and difficult to use.(2) As a result, fireproofing sprays were being manufactured to insulate steel building materials and all contained the ingredient asbestos. By the late 1960s W. R. Grace Corporation was only a small participant in this industry. However, in 1970 the business environment changed dramatically and presented an opportunity for Grace to enter a relatively competitor-free market with a new asbestos-free fireproofing spray product. The product they developed was a re-formulated fireproofing spray branded Monokote. Grace quickly introduced Monokote to the consumer as a "research breakthrough" and successfully claimed it was "completely asbestos-free."(6)
             The development of TEL and Monokote seem at a glance quite unlike each other. Each grew out of difference circumstances, however, their manufacture was the result of a company seizing a business opportunity in the pursuit of maximizing the "bottom line." The financial rewards TEL and Monokote achieved were greatly accomplished by a common thread they shared, the use of deception. It was this deception for purposes of self-interest that hid the health risks posed by their manufacture and use from the public.
             The lead industry acknowledged the undeniable health risk associated with an individual's exposure to high levels of lead. However, it was the health risk created from the subtle e...