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Physiological responses during exposure to carbon dioxide and bioeffluents at levels typically occurring indoors
Author(s) -
Zhang X.,
Wargocki P.,
Lian Z.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12286
Subject(s) - heart rate , ventilation (architecture) , carbon dioxide , respiration , blood pressure , respiratory rate , zoology , respiratory minute volume , respiratory system , anesthesia , medicine , chemistry , physiology , toxicology , biology , mechanical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , anatomy
Twenty‐five subjects were exposed to different levels of carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ) and bioeffluents. The ventilation rate was set high enough to create a reference condition of 500 ppm CO 2 with subjects present; additional CO 2 was then added to supply air to reach levels of 1000 or 3000 ppm, or the ventilation rate was reduced to allow metabolically generated CO 2 to reach the same two levels (bioeffluents increased as well). Heart rate, blood pressure, end‐tidal CO 2 ( ETCO 2 ), oxygen saturation of blood ( SPO 2 ), respiration rate, nasal peak flow, and forced expiration were monitored, and the levels of salivary α ‐amylase and cortisol were analyzed. The subjects performed a number of mental tasks during exposures and assessed their levels of comfort and the intensity of their acute health symptoms. During exposure to CO 2 at 3000 ppm, when CO 2 was added or ventilation was restricted, ETCO 2 increased more and heart rate decreased less than the changes that occurred in the reference condition. Exposure to bioeffluents, when metabolically generated CO 2 was at 3000 ppm, significantly increased diastolic blood pressure and salivary α ‐amylase level compared with pre‐exposure levels, and reduced the performance of a cue‐utilization test: These effects may suggest higher arousal/stress. A model is proposed describing how mental performance is affected by exposure to bioeffluents.