Mines and Bunkers Volume 10, Fire Safety Aspects of Polymeric Materials (1980) / Chapter Skim
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SMOKE AND TOXICITY
SMOKE AND TOXICITY
Pages 121-127
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From page 121... ...
De pendi n g on the types of organic materials present, the py rolysis or combustion of pol ymers may produce, in addition to carbon monox i de, com bi nations of tox icants incl u ding hydrogen cyan ide, sulfur com pounds, nitrogen oxides, hal ogen acid gases, vapori zed fu mes of oth er hal i des such as ethyl bromide, organic gases such as ethyl brom ide, al deh ydes l i ke acrolein, and such exotic co mpou nds as the h igh ly tox ic bicycl ic phos phates from some plasticizers ( Petajan et a l .
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From page 122... ...
6.2 Perspective on Experi mental Data The n u m ber of stu dies concerned with nox i ous gases and smoke resu lting from thermal degradation of polymeric m ateri a l s has increased during the past 1 0 years. Pyrolysis or com bustion produ cts of the poly mers used in m i nes and bu nkers h ave bee n found to include car bon monox i de ( CO )
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From page 123... ...
The behavior of these materials under control led pyro l ysis conditions is being stu died and the m ateri als are ass igned rati ngs based upon various factors, incl u d i n g tox icity. 6.2.2 Clinical Data Based on Ai rcraft Fires Qu antitative tox icol ogical data on mine and bun ker fi re victi ms are nonex istent; however, l i m ited data are ava i l able on ai rcraft fi re victims and are perti nent in that the synthetic polymers involved are s i m i l ar.
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From page 124... ...
6.3.2 Thermal Decomposition Temperatures F i re te mperatu re depends on the pyrolysis and/or com bu stion processes and al so on the ca loric value of the product or products consu med by fire . For the therm al decom position of wood, seve ral anal ysts h ave fol l owed a class ification of fou r distinct tem peratu re zones (see Appendix F )
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From page 125... ...
The rel ative hazard or lethal ity of the produ ct can be esti mated with reasonable confi dence if a single com ponent, such as CO or H CI , is clearly predom inant and no other significant sou rce of stress is present. If thermal de�adation generates a significant quantity of m iscel l aneous gases, heat or smoke , the net physiologica l response is difficu lt to esti mate; however, anal ysis of such m i xtu res or the i r degradation products is be· com i ng less difficu lt with the devel opment of more soph isticated (and expensive)
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From page 126... ...
Recommendation: A central agency shou l d be establ ished to col lect and anal yze data from and promul gate information regarding the tox icity of the combustion and pyrolysis of pol ymeric materials in test and actual fi res. Conclusion: Most tox icity stu dies relating to the products of com bustion a n d pyrolysis of polymeric materi als are oriented toward establ ishing lethal levels and incapacitation is rel ative ly ignored Recommendation: Stu dies of the tox icity of pol y meric mate rial combustion and pyrolysis products shou l d address incapacita tion as we l l as lethal ity.
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From page 127... ...
E Effen berger, "Toxische Wirku ngen der Verbren nugsprodu kte 110n K unstoffen," Stadtehygiene 1 2; 275-80, 1 972.
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