Page 8 - The Peach Pit Parade - A World War I Story

The Science Behind Charcoal,

Peach Pits, and Gas Masks

What is charcoal?

Charcoal is a form of carbon. It is made from organic materials that include bone, seeds, shells, pits,
wood, peat, and petroleum. When these organic materials are heated at high temperatures and are,
in a sense, charred, holes are ripped out of the material’s molecular structure. It’s these holes—pore-

like pockets—that easily absorb or trap other chemicals.

Whether accidental or intentional, the use of charcoal has been around for ages. It has been used as

a tool for cave drawings, to create gunpowder, and to purify substances such as air, water, sugar, and
metals like bronze.

Why peach pits?

The need for gas masks emerged and the campaign to conserve and collect peach pits, along with other
pits and seeds, began when chemical warfare was first introduced by the Germans and used against
Allied soldiers during World War I.

A gas mask is an apparatus worn over the face to protect the
eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs from poisonous and
deadly gas. These masks were used not just by Allied
soldiers but by their dogs and horses as well during
chemical attacks.

Inside the filter, peach pits and other nutshells
were used as an absorbent charcoal in the
respirators of gas masks. It was discovered that
the charcoal made from peach pits could absorb

poisonous gas for nearly six hours, a much
better rate of absorption than charcoal
made from wood. Peach pit filters were also reusable. After the charcoal
had absorbed all the gas that it could, it simply had to be heated again in
order to reset its original absorption rate. This proved a safe and viable
option during the war, when many supplies were scarce.

Both the Boy and Girl Scouts, along with the Junior Red Cross, War
Savings societies, schools, churches and other groups, were some of
the biggest contributors to the “Do Your Bit, Save the Pit!” campaign.