Do Functional Changes in Humans Correlate with the Airway Removal Efficiency of Ozone

摘要

One of the more commonly observed responses to acute exposure to ambient levels of ozone during exercise is a decline in tidal volume and an increase in breathing frequency. It has been hypothesized that the response helps to limit the dose of ozone to the lower respiratory tract. To test the hypothesis 20 healthy non-smoking male volunteers were exposed to 0.4 ppm ozone while undergoing continuous exercise. Tidal volume significantly fell by 25 percent (p<0.003) during exposure. At the same time the ozone uptake efficiency of the lower respiratory tract significantly fell by 9 percent (p<0.04). These declines were significantly correlated (p<0.004), suggesting that the tidal volume reduction experienced during ozone exposure with exercise helps to limit the amount of ozone delivered to lower respiratory tract tissue.