Oxidation of cysteamine induced by gas-phase radicals from combustion smoke of poly (methyl methacrylate)

In order to obtain fundamental knowledge on biological damage caused by the smoke from combustion of poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA), we investigated the oxidation of cysteamine induced by PMMA smoke. We suggest that the long-lived and oxygen-centered radicals involved in PMMA smoke should play an important role in the oxidation of cysteamine. The mechanism for the oxidation of cysteamine by combustion smoke of PMMA was postulated as radical initiated chain reactions, taking into account the effect of pH, oxygen and radical concentrations.