Show FUMES PRODUCED IN BLASTING dynamite used in underground blasting must produce the least possible amount of poisonous fumes in order that the hazard of asphyxiation asphyxiating asphyxia tin ting workers at the face may be reduced to a minimum in an investigation being conducted by the pittsburg experiment station of the united states bureau of mines in cooperation with the hercules powder company experimental blasting tests are being made with a series of specially prepared dynamites of varying chemical composition in order to determine the mixture that produces the least possible fumes A blast is fired in a tunnel which is bratticed bratt iced off so that the gases from the detonating explosive are confined in a relatively small volume samples of the atmosphere in the tunnel after the blast are taken for analysis by men wearing breathing apparatus the toxic gases produced by dynamites are found to be mainly carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen the amount of these gases produced depends upon the composition of the explosive 4 and the method of loading factors which are being investigated by the bureau modern gelatin dynamites aites produce relatively small quantities of fumes |