Does chronic ozone exposure lead to lung disease

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6207965

Costa, D L; Hatch, G E; Crapo, J D

The potential role of ozone (O{sub 3}) in the induction of chronic lung diseases remains unclear. Using an ambient profile adopted from aerometric data from the Southwest Air Basin, rats were exposed to O{sub 3} for up to 18 months before assessments of pulmonary structure, function and biochemistry. Small, but significant alterations in lung function were observed at 52 and 78 weeks of exposure which were consistent with an overall restrictive functional lesion; these effects subsided during the post-exposure in clean air. Evidence of augmented lung permeability to plasma proteins and shifts in the antioxidant balance of lung tissues, free cells and lavage fluids were consistent with chronic oxidant stress. EM-morphometry revealed alterations in proximal bronchoalveolar epithelia and interalveolar interstitium which largely resolved during clean air post-exposure. However, fibrotic activity within the epithelial basement membrane and interstitium persisted. These collective data suggest that chronic exposure to O{sub 3} in an ambient exposure pattern induces alterations of lung infrastructure at presumptive O{sub 3} deposition sites resulting in functional and biochemical consequences.

• Research Organization: Duke Univ. Medical Center, Durham, NC (USA). Center for Extrapolation Modelling
• OSTI ID: 6207965
• Report Number(s): PB-91-132993/XAB; CNN: EPA-R-813113
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LUNGS
FIBROSIS
OZONE
TOXICITY
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
EPITHELIUM
LAVAGE
PERMEABILITY
RATS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
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PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
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RODENTS
TISSUES
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560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology