Oct. 15, 1925 
Chloropicrin as a Fumigant for Cereal Products 
755 
In the preparation of the bread represented by Nos. 5, 6, and 7 
in Figure 3, 10, 20, and 30 c. c. of aqueous chloropicrin solution 
were added, respectively. As the quantity of added chloropicrin 
increased, the volume of the resultant loaf of bread decreased. 
Thus, bread No. 7, in the preparation of which 30 c. c. of aqueous 
chloropicrin solution was used, attained a volume of only 750 c. c. 
as compared with 1,720 c. c. for the control flour. The addition 
of 10 c. c. of the chloropicrin solution did not markedly affect the 
volume of the loaf, but it did lower the expansimeter reading to 
750 c. c. as compared with 860 for the control. 
No. 8 shows the bread prepared from the control flour fumigated 
for 16 hours and aerated with an electric fan for 4 hours. The 
effects of the chloropicrin on the bread are even more marked than 
in the bread to which 30 c. c. of aqueous chloropicrin had been added. 
The volume of the bread prepared from this fumigated flour was 600 
c. c., and the expansimeter reading 280 c. c. 
The data which has just been presented indicate in a definite man¬ 
ner the detrimental effects which small quantities of chloropicrin 
have on the ability of flour to produce a good loaf of bread. Even 
in cases in which a fairly good loaf of bread was produced, the effect 
of the chloropicrin in retarding fermentation, i. e., in increasing the 
fermentation period, may be noted. In case of bread No. 7, in which 
30 c. c. of the chloropicrin solution (50 mgms. of liquid chloropicrin) 
was used, activity of the yeast was almost stopped. The effects 
were even more marked in Nos. 4 and 8, in which the treated flours 
were not sufficiently aerated. In none of these treated flours was 
there olfactory or lachrymal indication of the presence of chloropic¬ 
rin. On preparing the dough, however, the presence of the fumi¬ 
gant could not be doubted, the wetting of the flour setting free the 
chloropicrin. Tasting resulted in the same conclusion, that chloro¬ 
picrin was present. 
It was thought that if the flours were given sufficient time the 
chloropicrin would vaporize and leave them unharmed. Evidence 
for this belief is found in the fact that flours which at one time gave 
glutens of very poor quality seemed to recuperate and later give 
glutens of more desirable properties. Flours Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 
the series of July 13 were stored in cloth sacks until August 15, 
when bread was again made from them. Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 refer to 
portions of the same flours as were used on July 13, 1923, the first 
being the check flour and the last three being flours treated with 
chloropicrin. Table IV and Figure 4 show the results. 
These data show complete recovery of the flours from the effects 
of chloropicrin, as far as the baking qualities were concerned. Flour 
No. 3, on July 13, gave a volume of 1,440 c. c. and an expansimeter 
reading of 650 c. c., as compared with 1,590 c. c. and 980 c. c., 
respectively, one month later; while for flour No. 4 the recovery is 
even more evident. On July 13 this flour gave a loaf volume of 
600 c. c. and an expansimeter reading of 200 c. c.; on August 15, a 
portion of the same flour gave a loaf volume of 1,520 c. c., and an 
expansimeter reading of 730. 
EFFECTS OF CHLOROPICRIN ON WHEAT 
A series of experiments with fumigated wheats was carried on. For 
purposes of comparison, the wheat which was to be used in the fumiga- 
