Effect of Negative and Positive Air Ions on the Chicken Tracheal Surface Morphology: Study with Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract

Exposure of the Wistar rat to positive air ions for 6 weeks or more damaged the cilia of the tracheal epithelium (1). Although the upper respiratory tract was not affected by exposure to negative ions, rats exposed previously to those ions were resistant to the damaging effects of positive ions (1). The present communication reports on the effect of positive and negative air ions on the surface morphology of the trachea in chickens as revealed by scanning electron microscopy.