Large-scale compartment fire toxicity study :

Abstract

Ten large-scale single-compartment fire tests were performed using two polyurethane foams and a cotton upholstery fabric. Animals were exposed to the products of decomposition of cushion assemblies burned under three different combustion modes: smoldering combustion; flaming combustion; and smoldering-to-flaming transition combustion. Comparison of gas yields (CO, CO/sub 2/, and HCN) between these tests and prior large- and small-scale tests showed that the CO and CO/sub 2/ yields agreed within a factor of 3, while the NBS Toxicity Protocol produced 10 times more HCN in the flaming mode and ramped heating mode than the large-scale tests. Model calculations showed that within-exposure animal deaths in small- and large-scale tests correlated with model values greater than 0.7. Burn room animal deaths could not be explained in terms of the four gases used in the N-gas model.