Comparing Inhaled Ultrafine Versus Fine Zinc Oxide Particles in Healthy Adults: a Human Inhalation Study

Overview

Journal Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Specialty Critical Care

Date 2005 Mar 1

PMID 15735058

Citations 34

Authors

William S Beckett

David F Chalupa

Andrea Pauly-Brown

Donna M Speers

Judith C Stewart

Mark W Frampton

Mark J Utell

Li-Shan Huang

Christopher Cox

Wojciech Zareba

Gunter Oberdorster

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rationale: Zinc oxide is a common, biologically active constituent of particulate air pollution as well as a workplace toxin. Ultrafine particles (< 0.1 microm diameter) are believed to be more potent than an equal mass of inhaled accumulation mode particles (0.1-1.0 microm diameter).

Objectives: We compared exposure-response relationships for respiratory, hematologic, and cardiovascular endpoints between ultrafine and accumulation mode zinc oxide particles.

Methods: In a human inhalation study, 12 healthy adults inhaled 500 microg/m3 of ultrafine zinc oxide, the same mass of fine zinc oxide, and filtered air while at rest for 2 hours.

Measurements And Main Results: Preexposure and follow-up studies of symptoms, leukocyte surface markers, hemostasis, and cardiac electrophysiology were conducted to 24 hours post-exposure. Induced sputum was sampled 24 hours after exposure. No differences were detected between any of the three exposure conditions at this level of exposure.

Conclusions: Freshly generated zinc oxide in the fine or ultrafine fractions inhaled by healthy subjects at rest at a concentration of 500 microg/m3 for 2 hours is below the threshold for acute systemic effects as detected by these endpoints.

Citing Articles

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