Phosphorus smokes

Red Phosphorus smoke mix production. Evaluation of the Sprout Waldron 35 cubic foot Jet Airmix unit for production of Red Phosphorus (RP) M8E1 Smoke Mixtures was conducted (12). Results indicated the mix was stabile and not easily initiated by heat, but sensitive to friction and snark stimuli. The burning time was slow with dense smoke emission. 

McIntyre, Fred Amend, R.J. and Smith, M. Blending Technology for Red Phosphorus Smoke Ccmoositions. U.S. 

Levels of Significant Exposure to White Phosphorus Smoke - Inhalation... 

Existing Information on Health Effects of White Phosphorus 2-5 Existing Information on Health Effects of White Phosphorus Smoke 5-1 Frequency of NPL Sites with White Phosphorus Contamination... 

Levels of Significant Exposure to White Phosphorus Smoke - Inhalation 2-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to White Phosphorus - Oral... 

This statement was prepared to give you information about white phosphorus and white phosphorus smoke and to emphasize the human health effects that may result from exposure to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites as in the nation. These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities. White phosphorus has been found in at least 77 of 1,430 current or former NPL sites. However, the total number of NPL sites evaluated is not known. As more sites are evaluated, the number of sites at which white phosphorus is found may increase. This is important because exposure to white phosphorus may harm you and because these sites are sources of human exposure to white phosphorus. 

WHAT ARE WHITE PHOSPHORUS AND WHITE PHOSPHORUS SMOKE ... 

You will find more information on the physical properties and uses of white phosphorus and white phosphorus smoke in Chapters 3 and 4 of this profile. 

The fate of white phosphorus smoke is similar to the fate of reaction products of white phosphorus vapor in air. White phosphorus vapor in air reacts with oxygen and is changed to relatively harmless chemicals within minutes. However, particles in the air may have a protective coating that makes them unreactive for a longer time. White phosphorus reacts mainly with oxygen in water and may stay in water for hours to days. However, chunks of white phosphorus coated with protective layers may stay in water and soil for years if oxygen levels in the water and soil are very low. 

In water with low oxygen, white phosphorus may react with water to form a compound called phosphine. Phosphine is a highly toxic gas and quickly moves from water to air. Phosphine in air is changed to less harmful chemicals in less than a day. In water, white phosphorus builds up slightly in the bodies of fish. The other chemicals in white phosphorus smoke are mainly changed to relatively harmless chemicals in water and soil. White phosphorus may stay in soil for a few days before it is changed to less harmful chemicals. However, in deeper soil and the... 

Most of the white phosphorus that enters your body leaves in urine and feces after several days. White phosphorus smoke can enter your lungs when you breathe air containing it. When that happens, we do not know if it will enter your blood or how it will leave your body. For more information, please read Chapter 2. 

Because of the lack of cancer studies on animals or people, the EPA has determined that white phosphorus is not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity (that is, whether or not it causes cancer). If you breathe white phosphorus smoke, you may damage your lungs and throat. We do not know how white phosphorus smoke can affect your health if it gets on your skin. For more information, please read Chapter 2. 

IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO WHITE PHOSPHORUS AND WHITE PHOSPHORUS SMOKE ... 

The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide public health officials, physicians, toxicologists, and other interested individuals and groups with an overall perspective on the toxicology of white phosphorus and white phosphorus smoke. It contains descriptions and evaluations of toxicological studies and epidemiological investigations and provides conclusions, where possible, on the relevance of toxicity and toxicokinetic data to public health. 

White phosphorus particles can bum on the surface of the skin or penetrate deep into the tissues when carried on shrapnel particles. Local destruction of tissues continues as long as white phosphorus is exposed to oxygen. White phosphorus smoke with a garlic odor is characteristic of white phosphorus burns (Eldad and Simon 1991). High mortality rates seen... 

In the Brown et al. (1980, 1981) and Starke et al. (1982) studies, the air concentrations of white phosphorus smoke were expressed in terms of orthophosphoric acid equivalents. In reviewing the methods used to estimate the concentration of orthophosphoric acid, ATSDR detected a calculation mistake. According to the authors equation for determining the orthophosphoric acid concentration of the sample, the molecular weight was divided by 3 milliequivalents. At pH 9.6, the molecular weight should be divided by 2 milliequivalents. A correction was made to exposure levels for the three studies. White... 

White Phosphorus Smoke. No deaths were observed in humans exposed to concentrations as high as 592 mg phosphorus pentoxide equivalents/m3 (817 mg orthophosphoric acid equivalents/m3) for 3.5 minutes or 514 mg phosphorus pentoxide/m3 (709 mg orthophosphoric acid equivalents/m3) for 15 minutes (White and Armstrong 1935). 

Increased mortality was also observed in rats exposed to 1,742 mg orthophosphoric acid equivalents/m3 of white phosphorus smoke 15 minutes/day, 5 days/week, for 6-13 weeks (Brown et al. 1981) or 9-10 weeks (Brown et al. 1981 Starke et al. 1982). As with the deaths... 

White Phosphorus Smoke. Systemic effects of white phosphorus smoke in humans and animals after inhalation exposure are discussed below. The highest NOAEL value and all reliable LOAEL values for systemic effects in each species and duration category are recorded in Table 2-1 and plotted in Figure 2-1. 

No studies were located regarding musculoskeletal or other systemic effects in humans or animals after inhalation exposure to white phosphorus smoke. 

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