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Effects of sulfuric acid aerosol inhalations
Author(s) -
Lippmann Morton,
Schlesinger Richard B.,
Leikauf George
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700010314
Subject(s) - medicine , aerosol , sulfuric acid , meteorology , metallurgy , materials science , physics
Submicrometer H 2 SO 4 droplets can affect pulmonary functions in humans. The lowest concentration which has been reported to produce a statistically significant effect on pulmonary mechanics is l mg/m 3 . Effects on tracheobronchial mucociliary clearance of inert particles were observed in our laboratory at much lower concentrations. For ten nonsmoking humans exposed for one hour via nasal mask to 0.1 mg/m 3 of H 2 SO 4 , the mean bronchial clearance half‐time was reduced by 38% (p <0.02) while for l mg/m 3 , it was increased by 48% (p <0.03). Four donkeys exposed for l hour daily to 0.1 mg/m 3 six months developed clearance abnormalities which persisted for at least three months after the last exposure. The patterns of mucociliary clearance responses to H 2 SO 4 are similar to those seen previously in humans and donkeys following exposure to cigarette smoke, a known causal factor for chronic bronchitis.