Effects of a Brief Low-Level Exposure to the Particulate Fraction of Diesel Exhaust on Pulmonary Function of Conscious Sheep

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of an acute low-level exposure to diesel exhaust particulate material on pulmonary function in conscious sheep. This was accomplished by measuring pulmonary mechanics, airway reactivity to increasing doses of aerosolized carbachol, and tracheal mucous velocity both prior to and immediately after exposure to the diesel exhaust particulates. The diesel exhaust particulate material was aerosolized by a fluidized-bed dust generator. The mass concentration of the dust ranged between 400 to 500 micrograms/m3 and a mass median aerodynamic diameter of 2.8 micrometers. The sheep breathed the diesel exhaust particulates for 30 min by means of a Plexiglas helmet. The particulates caused no material alteration in pulmonary resistance, airway reactivity to aerosolized carbachol, or static lung compliance when compared to pre-exposure values. Tracheal mucous velocity was likewise unaffected. In conscious sheep under the present exposure conditions, the diesel exhaust material administered as a respirable aerosol does not materially affect the function of the large airways, the elastic properties of the lung, nor tracheal mucous transport.