Cytotoxic activity of spark‐decomposed sulfur hexafluoride and analysis of cytotoxic contributions of individual spark decomposition products†

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Abstract
Sulfur hexafluoride decomposed by electrical sparks has been found to by cytotoxic to hamster cells when tested in an in vitro cell survival assay, while SF6 shows no cytotoxic activity. Chemical analysis of spark‐decomposed SF6 has identified and quantified the following compounds: SOF2, SO2F2, SF4, SOF4, SiF4, SO2 and HF. Each of these gases, at concentration ranges expected in spark‐decomposed SF6, were tested for cytotoxic activity toward hamster cells. Of the gases showing cytotoxic activity, SO2F2 and SOF4 were similar in activity, as were SOF2 and SF4, while the behavior of SiF4 was different from the rest. None of these individual gases, at concentrations expected in spark‐decomposed SF6, has sufficient cytotoxic activity to account for the cytotoxic effect of spark‐decomposed SF6 observed in our assay system. A four‐component mixture of some of the gases enumerated above (at concentrations overestimating their abundance in spark‐decomposed SF6) was much less cytotoxic than the spark‐decomposed SF6 gas. A mathematical simulation of the cytotoxic activity of a mixture of gases at concentrations found in spark‐decomposed SF6 was made, assuming independent cytotoxic effects from each component. The simulated cytotoxic effect thus computed was less than that seen in spark‐decomposed SF6. Since individual components or mixtures of the major decomposition products do not account for the observed biological activity of spark‐decomposed SF6, this suggests there may be one or more components, present in the spark‐decomposed gas at very low concentrations, which may have a very strong cytotoxic activity.

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