Toxic Gas Tests with Several Pure and Mixed Gases Using Mice

Mice were exposed to pure toxic gases which are commonly gener ated in fire incidents, such as CO, CO ₂ , HCl, HCN, NH ₃ , NO ₂ , N ₂ (oxygen defi cient), both as single gases and in mixtures. Acute toxicities for 5- to 30-minute exposures of these gases at various concentrations were examined using such indices as incapacitation time and apnoea time. Relationships between the ex posure temperature and the incapacitation time or apnoea time were also ex amined. Similar tests were performed using mixtures of 2, 3 or 4 gases at various concentrations, changing exposure temperature and humidity, as in the case of the single gases.