Controlled Exposure to a Mixture of SO2, NO2, and Particulate Air Pollutants: Effects on Human Pulmonary Function and Respiratory Symptoms

Abstract
Exposure of 20 volunteers to sodium chloride (NaCl) aerosol or to a mixture containing NaCl plus irritant particles (zinc ammonium sulfate) and irritant gases (nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide) produced no significant decrements in pulmonary function. There was a slight tendency for respiratory symptoms to be greater during the exposure to the mixture than during exposure to the NaCl aerosol alone; the differences were not statistically significant. The pollutant concentrations studied approximated worst-case ambient levels observed in the Los Angeles basin.