Alfonso Lebron wrote:
Reading this discussion made me to collect some data that could be of help.
Be careful when using the word "halon". There are several of them, depending on
chemical composition. Some can be lethal in closed environments and other may
produce only minor central nervous system effects, even under sustained exposure
to a 1% conc.
I am attaching some papers that could shed more light on this subject. Hope it
helps, before making a decision.
Alfonso Lebron
Paul wrote:
Mark and Michelle wrote:
Be very careful about using Halon in the "passenger forward to firewall"
section. You have a trade-off to consider: Fire in the cabin, or the use
of Halon which works by depleting oxygen. Not a great idea in an enclosed
space. You may want to consider a different type of extinguisher for the
cabin area.
Mark Lozier, Captain, USAF
lozier@theriver.com
Bill Freeman wrote:
I think this is incorrect. As I remember the sales pitch on Halon was
that the concentration of Halon that will put out a fire is breathable
for humans for some significant period, like 10-20 minutes with no
ill effects. This is opposed to CO2 which apparently extinguishes
fires and people with the same concentration.
Bill
Hum Exp Toxicol 1991 Mar;10(2):125-8
Fatal accidental inhalation of bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon 1211).
Lerman Y, Winkler E, Tirosh MS, Danon Y, Almog S
Israel Defense Forces, Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer.
Bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon 1211) is a widely used fire extinguishing
agent. Several cases of sudden death in teenagers associated with BCF abuse
have been reported. BCF is used as a fire extinguisher in battle tanks. Two
young previously healthy male soldiers were accidentally exposed to BCF in a
battle tank. The tank driver died, but the gunner survived the event with no
medial complications. It is concluded that BCF should be used in confined
chambers only after the evacuation of all personnel.
PMID: 1675103, UI: 91254839
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Med J Aust 1984 Jul 21;141(2):115-7
Abuse of a fire-extinguishing agent and sudden death in adolescents.
Steadman C, Dorrington LC, Kay P, Stephens H
Two cases of abuse of bromochlorodifluoromethane (BCF - a fire-extinguishing
agent) by inhalation are reported. In the first case, a 15-year-old youth
presented in ventricular fibrillation; the second youth was dead on arrival
at hospital. Port-mortem toxicological investigations confirmed BCF
inhalation in the latter patient. Management of the surviving patient
included cardioversion, controlled mandatory hyperventilation, intravenous
infusions of mannitol, and barbiturate protection against cerebral
ischaemia. He had completely recovered after eight days. Community agencies
report that BCF inhalation occurs frequently on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
This behaviour can be associated with sudden death from ventricular
arrhythmias after cardiac sensitization to endogenous adrenaline. The "lone
sniffer" is at greatest risk, and identification of such individuals may
prevent a fatal outcome.
PMID: 6738424, UI: 84245286
the above report in format
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Fundam Appl Toxicol 1993 Feb;20(2):240-7
Human performance and physiological function during a 24-hr exposure to 1%
bromotrifluoromethane (Halon 1301).
Calkins DS, Degioanni JJ, Tan MN, Davis JR, Pierson DL
KRUG Life Sciences, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058.
Performance and physiological measurements were obtained from four pairs of men
exposed for 24 hr to 1% (10,000 ppm) Halon 1301 (bromotrifluoromethane, CBrF3)
and to air with order counterbalanced using a double-blind protocol. Cognitive
and motor performance was assessed before, during, and after the exposures
using seven scales of the Automated Portable Testing System, which produced 13
measures of performance. Halon inhalation induced decrements in 2 of the 13
measures, but actual and estimated magnitudes of the decrements were no greater
than 5% of baseline values. Physiological data were obtained before, during,
and after the exposures from clinical chemistry analyses of blood and urine
samples, pulmonary function tests, and monitoring of vital signs. Significant
change during Halon inhalation was observed for 6 of the 52 variables assessed;
however, all physiological values remained within clinically acceptable limits.
No cardiovascular effects were noted. This study demonstrated that exposure to
1% Halon 1301 for 24 hr can produce minor disturbance of central nervous system
function as assessed by cognitive tasks.
Publication Types:
Clinical trial
Randomized controlled trial
PMID: 8449396, UI: 93194013
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