- Author
- Easterly, C. E. | Dudney, C. S. | Griffin, G. D. | Walsh, P. J.
- Title
- Health Effects of Dielectric Gases. Preliminary Report.
- Coporate
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN
- Sponsor
- Department of Energy, Washington, DC
- Report
- ORNL/TM-8353, August 1982, 24 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- W-7405-ENG-26
- Keywords
- health hazards | toxicity | animals | exposure | dielectric materials | sulfur hexafluoride
- Identifiers
- hamsters; dielectric gases; unsparked sulfur hexafluoride; sparked sulfur hexafluroide; time after sparking; energy of discharge; yeast cells
- Abstract
- The toxicity of various dielectric gases was assayed in two in vitro systems: Chinese hamster V79 (lung) cells (mammalian) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiac). Exposures were carried out in small tubes which were constantly rotated, so that cells were exposed to the gas with only a thin layer of cell culture liquid covering them. Results indicate that SF₆ is essentially without cytotoxic effect on both systems. After discharge of 16 kJ total spark energy in 60 cm³ of SF₆, the sparked samples were found to be cytotoxic to the mammalian cells, but not to the yeast. The toxicity of these sparked samples to the mammalian system was observed withing 15 min of exposure of the cells and the degree of toxicity increased with time of exposure. In addition, increasing spark energy produced samples with increased cytotoxic activity. Yeast cells were unresponsive to octafluorocyclobutane (c-C₄F₈) and sparked SF₆. However, as little as 10% perfluoro-2-butyne (PFB) resulted in 100% toxic response to the yeast, and 95% hexafluoro-cyclobutene (c-C₄F₆) prevented their normal exponential growth, but did not result in mortality.