Review, discussion, and summary: Toxicology

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6967422

Graham, J A

The research presented in the toxicology session of the Symposium on the Health Effects of Acid Aerosols significantly advances our understanding of the health effects of acid aerosols and clearly illustrates the importance of animal-inhalation toxicology to risk assessment. The description of the effects of acid on airway-mucus buffering capacity and viscosity helps explain some of the mechanisms responsible for the effects of sulfuric acid on mucociliary clearance and pulmonary function observed in man and animals. Several of the papers illustrate that other pollutants interact with sulfuric acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}), causing concern about exposure risks and helping in elucidating the effects observed in epidemiology studies that have not yet been duplicated in a laboratory. For example, H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} absorbed on zinc oxide (ZnO) particles appears to be about a log more potent than H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} alone in causing pulmonary function decrements. Low levels of H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and O{sub 3} were found to be synergistic in increasing collagen synthesis, implying a risk in development of lung fibrosis. More-complex mixtures containing H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} cause a variety of interactions, depending upon the end points examined and the chemistry of the mixture. Other reports indicate that dose rate and length of exposure issues are critical to toxicological outcomes.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Health Effects Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6967422
• Report Number(s): PB-90-185240/XAB; EPA--600/J-89/283
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLAGEN
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INHALATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTAKE
LABORATORY ANIMALS
LUNGS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
POLLUTION
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RISK ASSESSMENT
SCLEROPROTEINS
SENSITIVITY
SULFURIC ACID
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES