THE RELATIVE SENSITIVITY OF THE HUMAN EYE AND LUNG TO IRRITANT GASES*

摘要

Various concentrations of irritant gases were applied to the eyes of subjects through closefitting goggles and, in separate experiments, to the lungs via a mouthpiece. Eye response was detected subjectively, lung response was measured objectively by plethysmograph and the threshold concentrations for no-response were determined. For a number of gases tested (sulphur dioxide, ammonia, butan-2-one, pentan-2-one, pentan-3-one, 3 methyl butan-2-one, formaldehyde and acrolein), the threshold concentrations for the eyes was about 1½times that for the lungs. Other irritants, however, can be specific for certain organs