Biological effects of urban air pollution: Riverside summary.

Abstract

Animals were raised in rooms ventilated with ambient air or air passed through absolute particulate and activated charcoal filters. Average ambient concentration for 2½ years of oxidant was 0.057 ppm and of carbon monoxide was 1.7 ppm. Pulmonary alkaline phosphatase in exposed rats and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase in exposed rabbits were lower. Pneumonitis was significantly more prevalent in mice from ambient air. Male, but not female, C57BL mice survived significantly longer in filtered air. A/J mice in ambient air were heavier and survived longer. Old guinea pigs during ten-minute exposures had identical pulmonary resistance to filtered air and equal increases due to 0.5 ppm of sulfur dioxide, but those from filtered air showed significantly greater response to 0.5 ppm of ozone. Decreased running activity of male C57BL mice was highly correlated with oxidant concentration.