Review: The Use of Bench-Scale Tests to Determine Toxic Organic Compounds in Fire Effluents and to Subsequently Estimate
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Review: The Use of Bench-Scale Tests to Determine Toxic Organic Compounds in Fire Effluents and to Subsequently Estimate Their Impact on the Environment Kelly Peeters *, InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6, 6310 Izola, Slovenia and Andrej Marusˇicˇ Institute, University of Primorska, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia Matija Ursicˇ, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Dimicˇeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ˇ Crtomir Tavzes , InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6, 6310 Izola, Slovenia and Andrej Marusˇicˇ Institute, University of Primorska, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia Friderik Knez, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Dimicˇeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Received: 25 May 2020/Accepted: 11 November 2020
Abstract. Generated fire effluents are toxic and responsible for the majority of fire deaths and injuries. Therefore, measures of fire safety and the assessment of toxic effects of fires on humans, which are the key factors to assess fire hazards, have been researched in the last decades. However, it is more and more recognized that there is also a need to assess the environmental impact of toxic compounds within fire effluents. Since ecotoxicology investigates the toxic effects of fire effluents on populations, interactions between ecology and toxicology are very important. These interactions may be complex and may involve research of food chains with several different trophic levels. This makes tracing of toxicants, to obtain reliable results, a real challenge. To tackle it, the bench-scale test is a cheaper and less complex method than large-scale fire simulations. Progress in the field of ecotoxicological studies is important because long-term exposure from the environment and bioaccumulation of toxic compounds in the human food chain may cause indirect health effects on humans. It is also an important tool for the general protection of the environment and biodiversity. Last, with data obtained from these studies, databases for the Life Cycle Assessment of construction materials can be improved. Keywords: Bench-scale tests, Ecotoxicology, Fire effluents, Toxicity
*Correspondence should be addressed to: Kelly Peeters, E-mail: [email protected]
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Fire Technology 2020
1. Introduction A fire, involving organic substances, releases both heat and smoke. It is an uncontrolled, chaotic process in which conditions change rapidly. Depending on the fire’s specific conditions, many diverse chemical compounds are produced in varying amounts. The substances, contained within fire effluents, can adversely affect human health. In principle, they are divided in four groups: asphyxiants (e.g. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide), irritants (e.g. ammonia, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxides, phenol, sulphur dioxide), allergens (e.g. isocyanates), and carcinogens (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], dioxins, furans, certain heavy metals) [1]. The combustion of organic materials, particularly if it is incomplete, may also give rise to more complex molecules in the smoke plume,
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