From: Michael Butler (mbutler@ocv1.ocv.com)
Date: Wed Oct 23 1996 - 14:32:15 MDT
<<
It must be that the CS you dispersed was simply carried up quickly by
the radiant heat of the flame rather than actually burning and thus
releasing toxic fumes. I would imagine that you may still have
had low-level cyanide exposure.
>>
Mose gas grenade designs with which I am acquainted do indeed use the
heat source to drive the _boil-off_, not combustion, of agent+carrier.
Most also (in the fine print) say not to use the device in an enclosed area,
but they don't say why. :) Two reasons might be setting a frame
building on fire, and formation of toxic byproducts. Of course,
people ignore gas grenade instructions all the time, or the only place CS
and CN grenades would be used would be concrete-walled riverbeds.
(1/2 g)
Both HCN and phosgene have tolerable-but-bad-for-you dose levels.
BTW, an electric spark would probably make a lot more phosgene than
an open flame would--the open flame would tend to break the phosgene
molecule down further via combustion.
MMB, at but not for...
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