> he would have seen that the recommended dose for use in the 
> U.K. is 150 ml for a Langstroth box. Yes a single box.

I saw what was posted, I am asking for sources, as the numbers
are massively inconsistent with each other.  They can't all
be right.

> Also the beekeepers in Chile have found they can use 200ml and treat
> up to 8 boxes. The USDA-ARS said 150ml will treat up to 5 deeps.

I'll restate the question in light of the ideal gas law and
the law of partial pressures:

All things being equal, the volume of 1, 5, and 8 deeps is 
a big variation in volume (5x or 8x) as compared to a range 
of liquid said to be 150 ml to 200 ml (1.33x). 

You only get so much gas out of any specific volume of liquid.
From any specific volume of liquid you get the SAME volume of
gas every time, assuming equal temperature and pressure.

Given that there isn't going to be much variation in temperature 
or air pressure for the case of comb being treated with acetic acid
fumes, something's amiss in the numbers being tossed about.

Is the difference here the difference between vaporizing
the acetic via passive means at ambient temperature versus 
pouring it onto a pre-heated surface, as is done when 
fumigating fruits and veggies with acetic acid?

There is a specific "parts per million" of acetic acid fumes 
in air that is going to kill Nosema spores, and the law of 
partial pressures and the ideal gas law are not subject to 
much debate these days.

> I have splashed battery acid (around 35% sulphuric acid) on my 
> skin and washed it off with no ill effects; I would not want to 
> try it with 80% (or higher) acetic which I understand will strip 
> skin off in seconds.

Nowhere near that scary to skin.  Get some in a cut, and it will
sting like the dickens. Get some in your eye, and you'll likely
be posing for Hathaway Shirt ads:
http://money.cnn.com/1999/07/21/companies/ogilvy/1ad2.jpg

But you can apply 99% acetic acid directly to a finger, like 
I just did, and let it sit there until it evaporates, and
you will feel no pain at all.  (I get my acetic at B&H Photo.)

In the interest of science, I took some turkey from my sandwich
Friday, weighed out 5 grams, and immersed it 20 ml of 99% glacial
acetic acid, enough to cover the turkey.  I may have inadvertently 
invented turkey-flavor pickles, but as of Sunday night, there is no
apparent "eating away" of the turkey in over 48 hours of immersion.

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