Cyanide Exposure in Fires

Symington, I. S.; Anderson, Robert A.; Oliver, J.S.; Thomson, Ian; Harland, W. A.; Kerr, J. W.

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91398-3

Cited by 100 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which are natural products of combustion, are necessarily present at every fire. Hydrogen cyanide is also formed from the lower temperature combustion of nitrogen-rich materials, including such natural fibers as wool and silk: and such common synthetics as polyurethane and polyacrylonitrile (92,109,115). Although elevated levels of thiocyanate as a marker for cyanide exposure are less common among firefighters than elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels (61), there is a close relationship between the two in firefighters who have sustained clinically significant smoke inhala tion (20).…”

Section: Chemical Hazardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Guidotti¹,

Clough²

1992

Annu. Rev. Public Health

102

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Section: Chemical Hazardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The metabolic demands of coping with heat transfer and fluid balance add to the existing demands of physical exertion. A major issue is the combined effect of the accumulation of internally generated heat during strenuous exercise and the external heat during fire conditions (38,109).…”

Section: Energy Costs and Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Guidotti¹,

Clough²

1992

Annu. Rev. Public Health

102

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“…Even healthy people have a small but significant quantity of cyanide in their bodies. A detailed survey of normal plasma cyanide levels in 10 individuals showed a maximum level of 0.11 Ag/ ml with a mean of 0.05 /4/ ml (34), while a maximum of 0.3 mg/ ml and a mean of 0.075 mg/ ml were reported in blood of 29 non-smokers (35). The minimum whole blood cyanide concentration which will cause lethal effects in an otherwise healthy man has been reported between 2.6 and 3.12 jig/ ml (36,37).…”

Section: Mechanism Of Actionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The minimum whole blood cyanide concentration which will cause lethal effects in an otherwise healthy man has been reported between 2.6 and 3.12 jig/ ml (36,37). Observation on fire fatalities (35) …”

Section: Mechanism Of Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanides and their toxicity: A literature review

Egekeze

Oehme

1980

Veterinary Quarterly

100

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SUMMARYCyanide is a potent and rapidly-acting asphyxiant which prevents tissue utilization of oxygen by inhibition of the cellular respiratory enzyme, cytochrome oxidase. Inhalation or ingestion of cyanide produces reactions within a few seconds and death within minutes. Cyanide toxicity of dietary origin has been implicated in acute animal deaths and as major etiologic factors in toxic ataxic neuropathy in man and as a cause of vision failure in humans suffering from tobacco amblyopia and leber's hereditary optic atrophy. Diagnosis of cyanide toxicity may be confirmed by a variety of laboratory procedures, but accurate assay is essential for proper conclusions from analysis of animal tissues several hours after death or from human samples in instances of chronic dietary exposure. Biological detoxification of cyanide is available through several routes, and the application of sodium nitrite with sodium thiosulfate or administration of methylene blue are effective treatment procedure. The environmental availability of cyanide in its various forms necessitates an understanding of its pathophysiology and responsible management of hazardous situations. OCCURRENCECyanide is present in many industrial and municipal waste waters. The most important source of this cyanide pollution is the effluents of electroplating processes, metal finishing, metallurgy, steel processing, and petroleum industries. Hydrocyanic acid (HCN) and its alkali salts like sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are found in vermicidal fumigants, insectides, rodenticides, metal polishes (especially silver polish), electroplating solutions and photographic processes. Hydrogen cyanide is also generated by action of mineral acids on cyanide salts for use as a fumigant. Several reported deaths following the use of sodium nitroprusside for the elective induction of hypotension during general ansthesia have been attributed to the accumulation of cyanide in the blood (1,2,3 (pH 9.0-12.0), and the permeability constant for HCN (pka = 9.2) was calculated to be 25 times greater than that of the cyanide ion (CN-).Since the initial build up of absorption rate was shown to depend on the diffusion constant, HCN was absorbed with very little lag whereas CN absorption rate increased for about 90 minutes. The results obtained by the authors permitted estimations of the early time courses of absorption (by combination of CN -and HCN contributions) for different exposures, and the resulting absorption patterns were compared with the detoxification rates of cyanide and the body burden producing toxic effects. Their calculations showed, for example, that a large area contact with 10% NaCN at pH 11.4 leads to clinical signs of toxicity within 25 minutes and death in about 1 hour. Observations in the small number of industrial accidents available for comparison were in agreement with the calculations. Therefore, cyanide absorbed by the skin from clothing wetted with NaCN solution may lead to toxic effects in certain cases.A greater part of the absorbed cyanide is rapidly...

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“…The combustion gases most often incriminated in the deaths of such patients are carbon monoxide [1] and hydrogen cyanide [2][3][4][5][6]. In addition to these recognised sources of intoxication linked to smoke inhalation, there exist a number of other toxic gases emitted during combustion which might be implicated in the early deaths seen following smoke inhalation [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Method for Measuring Volatile Organic Compounds in the Blood of Fire Victims Using ‘Purge and Trap’ Gas Chromatography

Houeto

Borron

Marlière³

et al. 2001

Indoor Built Environ

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Smoke inhalation remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Clinical and laboratory studies have revealed numerous potentially toxic components of combustion in the fire environment and in human tissue samples. However, the frequency and importance of the various compounds remains poorly understood. A new simple method to quantitatively measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in small samples of the blood of fire victims has been developed utilising the ‘purge and trap’ method of gas phase chromatography with flame ionisation detection using two columns. Thirty-three compounds were identified on the basis of the retention index method with acceptable repeatability and reproducibility. This method should permit a more complete investigation of the toxic volatile organic compounds found in fire victims.

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Cyanide Exposure in Fires

Cited by 100 publications

References 10 publications

Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Cyanides and their toxicity: A literature review

Development of a Method for Measuring Volatile Organic Compounds in the Blood of Fire Victims Using ‘Purge and Trap’ Gas Chromatography

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Cyanide Exposure in Fires

Cited by 100 publications

References 10 publications

Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Occupational Health Concerns of Firefighting

Cyanides and their toxicity: A literature review

Development of a Method for Measuring Volatile Organic Compounds in the Blood of Fire Victims Using &lsquo;Purge and Trap&rsquo; Gas Chromatography

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Product

Resources

About

Development of a Method for Measuring Volatile Organic Compounds in the Blood of Fire Victims Using ‘Purge and Trap’ Gas Chromatography