Acute toxicity of smoke screen materials to aquatic organisms, white phosphorus-felt, red phosphorus-butyl rubber and SGF No. 2 fog oil. Final report
The acute toxicity of three obscurants was determined for nine freshwater organisms. The materials tested were white phosphorus-felt smoke, red phosphorus-butyl rubber (RP-BR) smoke, and smoke generator fuel (SGF) No. 2 fog oil (bulk and vaporized). The chemistry of WP-F and RP-BR smoke in water and the resulting effects on aquatic organisms are similar. Combustion of these two obscurants and their deposition in water leads to the formation of many complex oxy-phosphoric acids. Rates of hydrolysis of these complex products to ortho-phosphate were inconsistent and unpredictable over time. These products acidify water and produce toxic effects after exhausting the buffering capacity of the water. Acute 96 hr tests using Daphnia magna with neutralized and nonneutralized exposure solutions indicated that the presence of unidentified toxic component(s) acted independently of pH. At pH levels of 6.0 to 7.0, phosphorus combustion products precipitated out of solution leading to a bimodal toxic response in extended 96-hr tests with Daphnia magna. Most components of fog oil had low solubility in water. Saturation was apparent at approximately 0.1 to 0.3 mg/L total oil. Vaporization had no demonstrable effect on the chemistry or toxicity of the fog oil. Neither the bulk fog oil nor the vaporized fog oil was acutely toxic to freshwater animals at concentrations less than 10 mg/L total oil. In oil-water mixes in excess of 1.0 mg/L total oil, fog oil quickly separated and floated to the surface. The primary hazard associated with vaporized and bulk fog oil was the physical effect of oil fouling the organisms. Photolysis increased the concentration of water-soluble components of the fog oil. Acute toxicity was demonstrated in oil-water mixes (approx.10 mg/L total oil) of photolyzed bulk and vaporized fog oil. No difference in toxicity was observed between photolyzed and non-photolyzed dilutions of OWM at comparable levels of total oil.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5858534
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-5584; ON: DE86010450
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AEROSOLS
TOXICITY
SMOKES
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ALGAE
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DAPHNIA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHES
FUEL OILS
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORIC ACID
PHOSPHORUS
SOLUBILITY
WATER CHEMISTRY
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BRANCHIOPODS
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
CRUSTACEANS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
INVERTEBRATES
LIQUID FUELS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLANTS
RESIDUES
SOLS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)
560304 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Invertebrates- (-1987)
560303 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)