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Title: Pulmonary toxicity of inhaled coal liquid aerosols (boiling range 230-450/sup 0/C)

Journal Article · · Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States)

The biological activity of materials produced in the direct liquefaction of coal is being assessed by a variety of test systems. In this study, the pulmonary toxicity of process solvent (PS) from the solvent refined coal-I (SRC-I) process was determined by histamine aerosol challenge tests and pulmonary function and morphologic evaluations. Guinea pigs inhaled aerosols of PS (boiling range, 230 to 450/sup 0/C) for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week, for up to 12 days in three different experiments. In the first experiment, 8-week-old animals inhaled 0 (controls), 0.15, or 0.60 mg/liter PS aerosols with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 1.3 ..mu..m. Exposure to 0.15 mg/liter PS for 12 days resulted in depressed weight gain and marked hypersensitivity to inhaled histamine compared with sham-exposed control animals. Four of five animals exposed to 0.6 mg/liter PS died of respiratory failure during exposure. During the second experiment, 14-week-old animals inhaled 0 (contols) or 0.19 mg/liter PS (MMAD, 1.3 ..mu..m) for 1, 3, or 12 days. Hypersensitivity to aerosolized histamine occurred only after 12 days exposure to PS aerosols. At that time, morphologic lung evaluations showed mild to moderate pneumonitis and accumulation of exudate in bronchioles of PS-exposed animals. In the third experiment, pulmonary function evaluations were conducted on 4-week-old animals exposed to 0 (controls) or 0.19 mg/liter PS for 8 days. Functional changes measured in these animals (compared to controls) included increased gas trapping at low lung volumes, decreased quasi-static compliance, and decreased diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
6228785
Journal Information:
Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States), Vol. 67
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English