Superior heat-transfer fluids for solar heating and cooling applications. Results of acute oral-toxicity determinations. Final report, September 15, 1980-April 30, 1981

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5237463

Parts, L; Conine, D L

Acute oral toxicity tests were conducted with twenty-two different heat transfer fluids used in solar collectors. Included among these were three fluids that had been used in collector installations for periods of one to three years. Sprague-Dawley derived albino rats were used for these tests. It should be appreciated that the toxic response of humans is not identical with that of a selected strain of rats. The results of present tests, combined with data on other heat transfer fluids supplied by their manufacturers, and published data, provide an overview of the acute toxicological properties for these fluids when ingested by rats. Their Gosselin's acute oral toxicity ratings range from 1 (practically nontoxic) to 3 (moderately toxic). Most fluids have the rating 1. The acute oral toxicity of fluids used in solar collectors is sufficiently low to suggest that accidental ingestion of doses to produce a lethal effect is not very probable in normal use. By Gosselin's rating system, undiluted ethylene glycol-based fluids are classified as having toxicity rating 2 (slightly toxic), whereas propylene glycol-based fluids have the rating 1 (practically nontoxic). The use of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol-based fluids for one year, and of an aliphatic hydrocarbon type fluid for three years, was found not to increase their acute toxicological properties significantly.

• Research Organization: Monsanto Research Corp., Dayton, OH (USA). Dayton Lab.; Hill Top Research, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-78CS35356
• OSTI ID: 5237463
• Report Number(s): MRC-DA-1096-Vol.1; ON: DE82002758
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALCOHOLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
ESTERS
ETHERS
FLUIDS
FREONS
GLYCOLS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RATS
RODENTS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES