Woodsmoke Emissions: Effects on Pulmonary Immune Defense

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baker K ; Chen LC ; Cohen MD ; Zelikoff JT
• Description:
  Epidemiological evidence suggests that inhalation of woodsmoke enhances the incidence, duration and, possibly, severity of respiratory illness in children. The hypothesis of this toxicological study is that woodsmoke exposure compromises pulmonary host resistance to infectious bacteria by altering immune defense mechanisms, particularly at the level of the macrophage. Rats were exposed nose-only to woodsmoke emissions generated from the burning of Red Oak (RO) and Douglas Fir (DF) in a furnace developed in this laboratory. Generated smoke was characterized in terms of respirable suspended particulate (RSP) matter, carbon monoxide (CO) levels, NOx (NO and NO2, respectively) concentration, and total PAH [measured as benzo(a)pyrene]. Under the present burning conditions, RSP concentration was maintained at a level of 750 microg/m3 for 1 hr for RO; mass median diameter of the emitted particles was 0.15 micro m (deltag = 1.8). CO levels emitted during combustion of DF and RO were 1 ppm, and all (100%) of the gaseous material produced was volatile. Levels of NOx were 0.062 ppm for RO and 0.020 for DF. Following a single 1 hr exposure, rats were either anesthetized and intratracheally instilled with Staphylococcus aureus to assess effects on pulmonary clearance, or sacrificed and their lungs lavaged to provide pulmonary macrophages. Inhalation of RO emissions reduced bacterial killing in vivo and diminished in vitro phagocytosis by macrophages recovered 1 and 2 h post-exposure. Results demonstrate that acute inhalation of woodsmoke generated from a model system that produces emissions comparable to those produced in homes using woodburning devices, compromises important immune defense mechanisms of the lung. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Immune System Lung Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Toxicology Wood
• Keywords:
  Animal Studies Exposure Assessment Immune Reaction Inhalation Lung Tissue Pulmonary Effects Smoke Inhalation
• ISSN:
  0731-9193
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  256-257
• Volume:
  15
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060175
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 1995 Mar; 15(1):256-257
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Performing Organization:
  Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19920701
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 34th Annual Meeting, March 5-9,1995, Baltimore, Maryland
• End Date:
  19970630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3d54fe05295e542893e28e0794b57c4b01a34835903de548e1e5c2b5a7f0c5c5db12d6fa65fb01dfc28b960dbd9ff33a5fa2981060bb7ded1a26437988c29953
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224167/cdc_224167_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 271.95 KB ]