Respiratory tract retention of inhaled air pollutants: report 1: mercury absorption by inhaling through the nose and expiring through the mouth at various concentrations

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Chemosphere; (United States)

OSTI ID:5233221

Kikuo, O ^[1]; Saito, H; Kifune, I; Ohshina, T; Fujii, M; Takizawa, Y

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1. Niigata Coll. of Pharmacy, Japan

To study atmospheric mercury absorption in human respiratory passage-ways, mercury in expired air was measured in three different states of breathing: steady breathing, deep breathing and breath held after inspiration. In this study, air containing mercury was inhaled through the nose and expired through the mouth. The concentration of mercury in the exhaled air was determined by the technique of gold-amalgam trapping, heat vaporization, and flameless atomic absorption measurement. The subjects were 13 male adults, aged 25-62 years, and 38 cases were observed. Four different concentrations of mercury, 1-3, 4-6, 10-11, and 20-30 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ were used, and absorption for each was determined, when the concentration was 1-3 ..mu../m/sup 3/, the absorption was 74-92%, the average being 82.5%. At concentrations of 4-6, 10-11, and 20-30 ..mu../m/sup 3/, the absorption was 76.6-100%, 75.5-99.2%, 70.9-95.9% respectively, and the average was 88.8%, 85.2%, and 87.7% respectively. A slightly higher rate of mercury absorption was observed in deep breathing than in steady breathing, and when expiration was suppressed for some time after inspiration, the rate increased remarkably to 97.4-99.7%. Prolonged retention of inhaled air containing mercury in the respiratory tract is believed to have caused the increased absorption.

• OSTI ID: 5233221
• Journal Information: Chemosphere; (United States), Journal Name: Chemosphere; (United States) Vol. 11:9; ISSN CHESB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ADULTS
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
ENTHALPY
FUNCTIONS
INHALATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
MAN
MERCURY
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RETENTION FUNCTIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION HEAT
VAPORIZATION HEAT
VERTEBRATES