The Absorption of Phosgene by Aqueous Solutions and Its Relation to Toxicity

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Abstract
Phosgene is poorly absorbed when the gas in air is passed at a moderate rate through water or neutral buffer in a simple bubbler. Absorption is unchanged in acid solution but increased in alkaline, and increased still more in solutions containing non-ionized amines, phenoxide ions or sulphite. It is concluded from data on the solubility and rate of hydrolysis that phosgene in molecular form can penetrate all three layers of the blood-air barrier and that its effects are caused by molecular phosgene and not by hydrochloric acid. The upper respiratory tract is protected against phosgene by hydrolysis in the mucus layer; chlorine, by contrast, can penetrate the layer and attack the tissues.

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