Asphyxiant components of fire effluents

Asphyxiant gases are the main causes of incapacitation (loss of consciousness) and death in fires, inducing tissue hypoxia by inhibiting the supply or use of oxygen in the tissues. The main fire asphyxiants are carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, with contributions from oxygen depletion and minor asphyxiant effects from nitrogen oxides and irritants. In this chapter the mechanisms of uptake of oxygen and asphyxiant gases from the lungs, their carriage and effects on the blood, causative mechanisms of hypoxia, and effects on different target organs are described. Methods are described for calculating the effects of each gas in terms of time and doses to incapacitation and death individually and when present in mixtures in sedentary and active subjects, as well as post-exposure effects and washout calculation methods for forensic applications.

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