Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Biological effects of spark-decomposed SF/sub 6/

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7070975
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) issued as an insulating gas for electrical applications (gas-insulated substations, switchgear, etc.). The gas is inert chemically and innocuous biologically. Electrical discharges (arcs, sparks, corona) in SF/sub 6/ can produce chemical decomposition of the gas. Analysis by mass spectroscopy in our laboratory has found that discharge of electrical sparks in SF/sub 6/ can produce a wide variety of decomposition products depending upon electrode composition, moisture content, presence of oxygen, etc. The compounds SOF/sub 2/, SOF/sub 4/, SO/sub 2/F/sub 2/, SiF/sub 4/, SO/sub 2/, HF, SF/sub 4/ and S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ have been identified and quantified in spark-decomposed SF/sub 6/. Toxicity information on most of these chemicals is sparse, but available data suggest some may have a strong biological toxicity. Analysis of the ability of these individual chemicals to cause cell lethality in cultured cell assays has allowed a toxicity ranking for these compounds and an understanding of which compounds contribute most to cellular toxicity in the cell culture assays. 29 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
7070975
Report Number(s):
CONF-881061-6; ON: DE88012491
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English