Effects of polyurethane and polyimide thermal decomposition products on shock escape and avoidance behavior.

Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 15 minutes to the decomposition products of either a polyurethane or polyimide foam while performing an unsignalled shock escape-avoidance task. These products were generated by placing 1 g samples of the foams on a conductive plate heated to either 435, 605, or 775 degrees C. The decomposition products and behavioral toxicity of the 2 foams varied differentially with test temperature. At the 2 lower temperatures, the decomposition products of polyurethane proved to be more behaviorally disruptive than those of polyimide, while at 775 degrees C the reverse was true. These results indicate that operant behavior technology brings a sensitivity to material testing which may prove quite useful for future assessments of potential behavioral toxicity.