Physiological and toxicological aspects of smoke produced during the combustion of polymeric materials.

Abstract

Normally one expects that flame contact is the major cause of injury and death during fires. Analysis of the factors involved in numerous fires has revealed that most deaths were not due to flame contact, but were a consequence of the production of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and other combustion products, such as aldehydes, low molecular weight alcohols, hydrogen cyanide, and other noxious species. The major emphasis within the scope of this paper relates to the physiological and toxicological aspects of smoke produced during the combustion of materials. Special emphasis is directed toward laboratory procedures which have been developed to determine the qualitative and quantitative analysis of smoke, factors pertaining to smoke development, and to measure the response of laboratory animals exposed to smoke. The effects that fire retardants, incorporated into polymeric materials as a means of improving flammability characteristics, may have on smoke development, the mechanism of polymer degradation, and on the survival response of laboratory animals are also considered.ImagesFIGURE 1.FIGURE 2.FIGURE 3.FIGURE 4.FIGURE 5.FIGURE 6.FIGURE 7.FIGURE 8.FIGURE 9.

TRPA1: Acrolein meets its target

“…Mainstream cigarette smoke may contain >50 ppm acrolein (Brunnemann et al, 1990). Similar levels were measured in wood or cotton smoke (Einhorn, 1975). Acrolein was determined to account for >80% of the non-cancer hazard index of cigarette smoking (Haussmann, 2012).…”

Epidemiology and prevention of burns throughout the world

“…Temperatures higher than 300 °F are reached within five to ten minutes in building fires, and in an aircraft cabin the temperatures near 500 °F in just five to six minutes [69,98]. Temperatures higher than 300 °F are reached within five to ten minutes in building fires, and in an aircraft cabin the temperatures near 500 °F in just five to six minutes [69,98].…”

Management of Burns in a Modern Conflict – The Mitchiner Memorial Lecture 2007

“…phosgene amongst others. It is a sanguine fact that if this room were to ignite, the burning of the upholstery alone could produce numerous lethal gases, a situation recently brought home following the admission of six patients to our burn unit when a polyvinyl chloride chemical plant exploded, producing hydrogen chloride [6]. Each of them suffered severe respiratory damage.…”