Citation

Einhorn IN, Grunnet ML. Fire Safety J. 1978; 1(3): 143-169.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

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, ketones, 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 natural and synthetic materials. Special emphasis is directed towards the development of a laboratory protocol to determine the qualitative and quantitative analysis of smoke, factors pertaining to smoke development, and the evaluation of the animal's ability to escape from the survive a fire. This methodology incorporates both an assessment of animal behavior and a bioassay technique to classify the physiological status of the animal.Finally, a review is presented of the pathological changes common to humans involved in "real fires" as well as an analysis of the pathological changes observed in test animals following exposure to carbon monoxide and other combustion products resulting from the thermal decomposition of natural and synthetic materials.