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Another news organisation notes the model is SR520BLSTC.[1] The SR520BLSTC user manual states R600a (isobutane) is used as the refrigerant.[1] Isobutane has a b

by dhx 2y ago

Another news organisation notes the model is SR520BLSTC.[1] The SR520BLSTC user manual states R600a (isobutane) is used as the refrigerant.[1] Isobutane has a boiling point of -12oC. There are numerous case studies of people dieing from isobutane inhalation, but generally the exposure is deliberate such as sniffing isobutane from a camping stove canister, or spraying air freshener directly into the nose.[3] Cause of death appears to generally be due to hypoxia as isobutane is an asphyxiant, or ventricular fibrillation caused due to exertion in breathing.[3] The impacted person stated "I started to have rapid breathing and my muscles went completely weak".[1] These reported symptoms appear to align with symptoms referred to in case studies of isobutane inhalation exposure where rapid breathing occurs, and the strain from this rapid breathing is thought to in some cases be the cause for ventricular fibrillation.[3] [1] https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-family-say-samsung-fridge-is-making-them-sick/6d8268dd-9c07-4916-ab14-6bbf8485dca4 https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-family-say-samsu... [2] https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/202109/20210914121138132/DA68-03570C-07_EN.pdf https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/202109/2021091... [3] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/source/hsdb/608#section=Human-Toxicity-Excerpts-%28Complete%29 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/source/hsdb/608#section=Hum...

gruez 2y ago
How much isobutane is in a fridge? Unless they have a very cramped and poorly ventilated kitchen, you would need an absurd amount of refrigerant leaking to displace enough air to cause symptoms. Moreover wouldn't the high amounts of refrigerant leaking cause a hissing sound they could hear?
jfengel 2y ago
If the system were leaking refrigerant, wouldn't it rapidly stop working? It's supposed to be a closed loop. And it sounds as if it requires a fair bit of isobutane to cause problems, so if it's losing enough refrigerant to asphyxiate I'd think that it would soon stop refrigerating.

by dhx 2y ago

gruez 2y ago

How much isobutane is in a fridge? Unless they have a very cramped and poorly ventilated kitchen, you would need an absurd amount of refrigerant leaking to displace enough air to cause symptoms. Moreover wouldn't the high amounts of refrigerant leaking cause a hissing sound they could hear?

jfengel 2y ago

If the system were leaking refrigerant, wouldn't it rapidly stop working? It's supposed to be a closed loop. And it sounds as if it requires a fair bit of isobutane to cause problems, so if it's losing enough refrigerant to asphyxiate I'd think that it would soon stop refrigerating.