> At 07:46 PM 10/20/96 -0600, Kyle L. Webb wrote:
> >>
> >> CS molecule contains a "cyanide radical" ... CS also converts to
> >> hydrogen cyanide upon heating. In fact, surviving bodies where
> >> found to contain very high levels of cyanide.
>
> > I've used CS quite a good many times in military training. One of the
> > standard means of dispersal is a burning type grenade. While in Korea
> > I set up tear gas chambers for NBC defense training where the method
> > for dispersal was to use CS powder heated over an open flame. In both
> > cases I have stood in the resulting aerosol sans mask for extended periods
> > (once you're used to it, CS is not all that incapacitating even in pretty
> > high levels). I daresay that if there were significant levels of cyanide
> > generated from heating of CS in a normal flame, I would have seen the
> > gray skin, and malaise that comes with cyanide poisoning.
>
> IAN: CS manufacturers such as Aldrich Chemical Company of Milwaukee,
> Wisconsin state in their official company literature on CS, that when
> burned CS emits toxic fumes, such as hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen
> chloride. The Aldrich company also states that if water is poured
> on burning CS, a lethal cloud of hydrogen cyanide can be released.
>
> Even more, the toxic and flammable agent methyl chloride, used in
> Waco to cause the CS dust to become suspended in the air, when burned
> releases extremely toxic phosgene gas (Trial transcript: 5735, 5756,
> 5916, 5921). (BTW, I'm told that the trial transcripts are now on
> the web but I do not know the URL, a search should uncover them.)
^^^
http://www.flash.net/~wyla
Dick