Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 1991-11
A Method to Determine the Potential Toxicity of Smoke from Burning Polymers: III. Comparison of Synthetic Polymers to Douglas Fir Using the UPitt II Flaming Combustion/Toxicity of Smoke Apparatus
Mice were exposed for 30 minutes to smoke from burning poly mers under naming conditions using the UPitt II apparatus for evaluation of flaming combustion/toxicity of smoke. The burning conditions were selected to enable comparison to Douglas fir data previously presented. The principal toxi cant was found to be CO for polymethyl methacrylate and polycarbonate. How ever, other toxicants, HCN and HCl, contributed to the observed lethality of smoke from rigid polyurethane foam and polyvinyl chloride respectively. The LC50 smoke concentration (in mg/L obtained from the mass loss rate and airflow rate) (SCLC50 ), survivable exposure concentration (SEC) and cumula tive hazard (Σh) were calculated for these synthetic polymers to permit compar isons between these polymers and Douglas fir. As found with Douglas fir, the Σh for exposure to smoke from a burning polymer varied with the burning con ditions. However, the smoke concentration over the range of burning conditions evaluated, was a good predictor of lethality for each polymer tested.
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