Toxicity of plastics

No attempt will be made here to relate the toxicity of plastics materials to chemical structure. Nevertheless this is a topic about which a few words must be said in a book of this nature. 

Report 69 Toxicity of Plastics and Rubber in Fire, PJ. Fardell,... 

Peterson A, Draman A, All P, et al. 1974. Toxicity of plastic devices having contact withblood. NTIS no. PB-233701. 

Alarie Y, Barrow SC. 1977. Toxicity of plastic combustion products. Toxicological methodologies to assess the relative hazards of thermal decomposition products from polymeric materials. NTIS PB-... 

Cure Assessment by Physical and Chemical Techniques, B.G. Willoughby, Rapra Technology Ltd. Toxicity of Plastics and Rubber in Fire, P.J. Fardell, Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station. 

Wong KL, Stock F, Alarie YC. 1983. Evaluation of the pulmonary toxicity of plasticized polyvinyl chloride thermal decomposition products in guinea pigs by repeated CO2 challenges. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 70 236-248. 

Fillers can be crystalline or amorphous. Examples of crystalline fillers include calcium carbonate and anatase (titanium dioxide) whereas solid glass beads are amorphous. Many, but not all, fillers are extracted from the earth s crust by mining or quarrying operations examples include calcium carbonate, talc, bentonite, wollastonite (calcium metasilicate) and titanium dioxide. Some fillers are extracted along with impurities that can seriously affect the colour, electrical properties and toxicity of plastics unless they are removed. Others, such as wood flour, have organic origins. The use of wood flour itself has been rather limited because of compatibility problems. 

Fire Toxicity of Plastics (1989) RAPRA Technology, Shawbury — papers presented at a seminar covering all the major aspects of fire, smoke and toxicity. 

Carbon distribution and ring content data are used in characterization of oils in the refin-ing/manufacturing process and can also correlate to critical performance properties (ASTM D3238 Calculation of Carbon Distribution and Structural Group Analysis of Petroleum Oils by the n-d-M Method). Aromatic carbon concentration in weight percent characterizes properties and toxicity of plasticizers obtained from petroleum products. 

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