Proceedings, 1976 Divers' Gas Purity Symposium (3rd) November 17-18, 1976, Held at Battelle-Columbus. Supplement.
Abstract
The occurrence of carbon monoxide in diver's respirable gas supplies has been well documented. However, the sublethal effects of this asphyxiant in hyperbaric environments have not been adequately characterized. A physiologically sensitive indicator of sublethal effects of a contaminant is the pulmonary alveolar macrophage. The guinea pig alveolar macrophage and its reaction to various CO concentrations at 8 atmospheres absolute (ata) and their surface equivalent concentrations at 1 ata were studied in this experiment. In the absence of CO, macrophage counts and viabilities from guinea pigs exposed to CO concentrations at 1600-4200 mg/cu m at 8 ata was 75.1 + or - 6.3% and was not different from the 1 ata cell viability value of 72.0 + or - 4.5% for the 1600- 4200 mg/cu m CO range. Five- to six-fold increases in total cell counts were observed with CO at both pressures. The data show that at 8 ata and CO concentrations of 1600-4200 mg/cu M, the decrease in alveolar macrophage viability was accompained by a dramatic increase in alveolar macrophage counts. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 18, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA033193