Gases from Carbon Arcs and their Effects

A. C. Downes

This paper is a review of work done in the laboratories of National Carbon Company, Inc., the College of Medicine of the University of Nebraska, the School of Public Health of Harvard University, and the Department of Health of the City of Detroit on the products of combustion from carbon arcs used in the motion picture industry. Analyses of the gases coming from various lamps show that, even in the stacks, the only gas occurring in toxic concentration is nitrogen dioxide. — The biological effects of undiluted stack gas from simplified high-intensity arcs upon experimental animals were only those due to the nitrogen dioxide. — The arc-ash fume when administered by intratracheal and subcutaneous routes in rabbits was found to be relatively inert. — Determination of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in poorly ventilated projection rooms failed to show any concentration more than about one-fifth that generally considered as allowable for exposure of several hours' duration, and therefore there is little or no hazard in these projection rooms. — Studies of ventilation under controlled conditions show that even with very low rates of both lamp house and room ventilation there is no danger of gases or fumes reaching concentrations which are toxic and that if sufficient ventilation is provided to produce comfortable working conditions there can not be any appreciable concentrations of nitrogen dioxide or arc-ash fumes in the booth.

Print ISSN
Published
1940-07
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J10067