The toxicity of smoke from polymeric materials during thermal decomposition.

Synthetic polymers, because of their chemical composition, release smoke that is qualitatively different from the smoke of commonly used natural polymers such as cotton and wood (1, 2). In addition, the rate of release of smoke from synthetic polymers can be much faster than that for cotton or wood and the yield of principal toxicants may be higher (1, 2). For these reasons, we need to develop methods to evaluate the acute toxicity of smoke from both synthetic and natural materials. Ideally, we should be able to make a complete qualitative and quantitative analysis of the smoke from each polymer, but such data cannot be obtained easily. As a result, researchers in this area have relied on animal exposures to rapidly evaluate possible differences in the potency of smoke from various materials. Most have measured key toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen chloride while exposing ani­ mals to these substances. In addition, a large number of studies have been made on over 300 other polymeric materials by investigators in many countries. Several summaries of these investigations have recently appeared (1-4). In May of 1984, the Secretary of State of New York recommended that toxicity data on smoke from polymeric materials be filed at the Department of State as determined by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code Council (5). The implementation of this recommendation is now under way.