251
Views
62
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Controlled Exposures of Volunteers to Respirable Carbon and Sulf uric Acid Aerosols

, , , , , & show all
Pages 770-776 | Received 27 Dec 1991, Accepted 01 Apr 1992, Published online: 07 Mar 2012
 

Abstract

Respirable carbon or fly ash particles are suspected to increase the respiratory toxicity of coexisting acidic air pollutants, by concentrating acid on their surfaces and so delivering it efficiently to the lower respiratory tract. To investigate this issue, we exposed 15 healthy and 15 asthmatic volunteers in a controlled- environment chamber (21°C, 50 percent relative humidity) to four test atmospheres: (i) clean air; (ii) 0.5-μm H2SO4 aerosol at =100 μg/m3, generated from water solution; (iii) 0,5-μm carbon aerosol at =250 μg/m3, generated from highly pure carbon black with specific surface area comparable to ambient pollution particles; and (iv) carbon as in (iii) plus =100 μg/m3 of ultrafine H2SO4 aerosol generated from fuming sulfuric acid. Electron microscopy showed that nearly all acid in (iv) became attached to carbon particle surfaces, and that most particles remained in the sub-μm size range. Exposures were performed double-blind, 1 week apart. They lasted 1 hr each, with alternate 10-min periods of heavy exercise (ventilation =50 L/min) and rest. Subjects gargled citrus juice before exposure to suppress airway ammonia. Lung function and symptoms were measured pre-exposure, after initial exercise, and at endexposure. Bronchial reactivity to methacholine was measured after exposure. Statistical analyses tested for effects of H2SO4 or carbon, separate or interactive, on health measures. Group data showed no more than small equivocal effects of any exposure on any health measure. One individual's responses were consistent with a clinically significant excess airway constriction from H2SO4 plus carbon, and 2-3 others showed slight excess responses to the combined pollutants, but all these observations might have reflected chance variations. We conclude that coexisting carbon aerosol did not increase respiratory irritancy of H2SO4, in most healthy and asthmatic subjects exposed for 1 hr under simulated "worst-case" ambient conditions.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.