Effects of sulfuric acid aerosols on pulmonary function of guinea pigs

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Abstract
S-containing by-products of fossil fuel combustion are considered possible causes of morbidity and mortality during air pollution episodes. Hartley guinea pigs (47) were exposed for 1 h to .apprx. 1 .mu.m (mass median aerodynamic diameter) H2SO4 aerosols at concentrations of 1.2-48.3 mg/m3. Ten animals (controls) were exposed to only filtered room air. H2SO4-exposed animals (8) exhibited increased total pulmonary resistance and decreased dynamic compliance. Four of these 8 responsive animals died during exposure. All other H2SO4-exposed animals exhibited no major differences from controls and were termed nonresponsive. The proportion of responsive to non-responsive animals increased with exposure concentration but the magnitude of pulmonary function change was similar for all responsive animals regardless of concentration. Compared to nonresponders, responsive animals had higher preexposure values of tidal transpulmonary pressure excursions and total pulmonary resistance and lower values of dynamic compliance. Preexposure transpulmonary pressure excursions were positively correlated with minute volume only for nonresponsive animals; transpulmonary pressure excursions were positively correlated with total pulmonary resistance in responsive animals. Hartley guinea pigs reacted to inhaled H2SO4 with an all-or-none airway constrictive response; an animal''s sensitivity to this response may be related to its preexposure airway caliber.

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