A threat in case of fire is the quality of combustion product; an evaluation of the threat generated is possible if the composition of the gases cocktail (quantity and quality) of the effluent during the development of the fire is known. The FTIR technique used in this project has given high reliability in detection of combustion gases and can be conveniently used with the prEN50399 fire scenario to fully investigate the reaction to fire of cables.

This parameter has been used for many years by the cable industry to indicate the corrosive potential of effluents from burning cables. This research revealed that the acidity parameter has been shown to be a good predictor of irritant effects when determined with the FEC index calculated from effluent measurements by FTIR.