Abstract
Automatic fire suppression systems (FSSs) use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to chemically extinguish fires. At high temperatures, HFC can release hydrogen fluoride (HF), a toxic and potentially lethal gas. We report the deaths of three U.S. military personnel at Bagram Air Base from acute respiratory failure after the FSS in their vehicle received a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade. Despite presenting with little to no additional signs of trauma, these individuals all died within 24 hours from HF-induced respiratory failure. When two patients later presented with similar symptoms after damage to their vehicle’s FSS, they were aggressively treated with nebulized calcium and positive pressure ventilation. Both survived. The presence of HFC-containing FSSs in military vehicles may lead to future cases of HF inhalation injury, and further research must be done to help rapidly diagnose and effectively treat this injury.
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Acute lethal effects and kinetics of fluoride in blood and BALF after inhalation exposure of rats to aerosolized hydrofluoric acid.
The purpose of this study was to reveal the mechanism of acute lethal accident after the exposure of human on face to a diluted solution of hydrofluoric acid (HFA). Particles of HFA solution and saline (50 µL) were intratracheally (i.t.) sprayed to rats using an aerosol generator as examples of
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Inflammatory responses of rat alveolar macrophages following exposure to fluoride
Inhalation exposure to fluoride compounds has been associated with respiratory failure. We have addressed effects of fluoride on alveolar macrophages and lung responses to intratracheally (i.t.) instilled fluoride in rats. I.t. instillation of fluoride at doses of 200 and 400 microg F/rat caused significant polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration in the
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A Longitudinal Study of Lung Function in Non-asthmatic Workers in an Aluminum Smelter.
This paper reports a longitudinal study carried out between 1977 and 1989 to determine whether the long-term rate of change in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is influenced by exposure to the pot room environment of an aluminum smelter. Workers with diagnosed asthma were excluded from the
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Fluoride exposure and respiratory symptoms in welders
Welders inhale gases and respirable particles. To investigate the relationship between fluoride exposure and respiratory symptoms in welders using basic electrodes containing calcium fluoride, 63 railroad track welders were interviewed. Fluoride was measured in post-shift urine samples. Seventeen welders reported respiratory symptoms related to welding fume exposures. Respiratory symptoms were
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Exposure to hydrogen fluoride: an experimental study in humans of concentrations of fluoride in plasma, sympto
OBJECTIVES: To study the absorption of inhaled hydrogen fluoride (HF) by measuring plasma fluorides and HF concentrations in the breathing zone during exposure to HF. A possible dose-effect relation was investigated by following airway symptoms and lung function-that is, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity
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Respiratory Risks from Occupational Fluoride Exposure
Starting in the 1930s, scientists have observed that workers exposed to airborne fluorides suffer from an elevated rate of respiratory disorders. For over 50 years, however, US government and industry scientists made repeated assurances that the allowable level of fluoride dusts and gases in industrial workplaces would not cause any
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Fluoride Enhances Toxicity of Beryllium
Occupational exposure to beryllium is well-documented to put workers' health at risk. The two principal targets of beryllium poisoning are the respiratory system and the skin. Of all beryllium compounds, beryllium fluoride complexes (including beryllium fluoride and beryllium oxyfluoride) appear to be the most toxic. As shown below, studies dating back
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