Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
40723 
Journal Article 
Inhalation toxicity of ninety per cent hydrogen peroxide vapor: acute, subacute, and chronic exposures of laboratory animals 
Oberst, FW; Comstock, CC; Hackley, EB 
1954 
1 
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health
ISSN: 1933-8244
EISSN: 2154-4700 
10 
4 
319-327 
not specified 
Liquid hydrogen peroxide is coming more and more into use. Little is known about its possible toxicity. In order to test its acute toxicity rats were exposed to concentrations of hydrogen peroxide at 243 to 307 p.p.m. for eight hours. Subacute toxicity was tested with 6 hours exposure for 5 days a week for 6 weeks, to concentrations of 67 p.p.m. For chronic toxicity dogs were exposed 6 hours a day for 5 days a week, over a 3-month period to 7 p. p. m. Rabbits were exposed to 22 p. p. m. for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, over 3 months in order to test the effect on the eyes. Definite amounts of vapour were introduced into the gas chamber; but hydrogen peroxide tends to be removed from the air in time, so the actual concentrations can never have exceeded those calculated. No deaths occurred from acute exposures, but the trachea and lungs presented severe congestion. The animals scratched and licked. The subacute exposures caused profuse nasal discharge after 2 weeks. In the fifth week the hair round the nose as denuded. Some animals died, but no pathological changes were found. The chronic exposure caused the hair of the dogs to bleach in the 14th week. Mild indications of irritation were found in the bronchioles. No eye injury developed. The final conclusion was that the maximum allowable concentration of vapours given off by 90 per cent. H2O2 should be less than 7 p. p. m. E. L. Collis.