Adaptation by older individuals repeatedly exposed to 0.45 parts per million ozone for two hours

To test for an increased reaction to ozone (O3) in older individuals following an initial exposure, and to test for adaptation and its duration, we exposed 10 men and 6 women (60-89 years old) in an environmental chamber to filtered air and 3 consecutive days of O3 exposure (0.45 ppm), followed by a fourth O3 exposure day after a two day hiatus. Subjects alternated 20-min exercise (minute ventilation = 27 L) and rest periods for 2 hours during each exposure. Subjects rated from one to five, 16 possible respiratory/exercise symptoms prior to and following the exposure. Pulmonary function tests were performed before, and during each rest period and following the exposure. Metabolic measurements were obtained during each exercise period. No significant changes in any symptom question occurred, in spite of a threefold increase in the total number of reported symptoms during O3 exposure. Small but significant pre-to-post decrements on the first and second O3 days in forced vital capacity (FVC-111 and 104 mL), forced expiratory volume in 1 (FEV1-171 and 164 mL) and 3 seconds (FEV3-185 and 172 mL) occurred without concomitant changes in any flow parameter of the forced expiratory maneuver. No differences in the group mean response in FVC, FEV1 or FEV3 on the third or fourth day of O3 exposure and the filtered air exposure were found. The observed changes were due to significant physiological changes in eight of the subjects. Unlike young subjects, no evidence of an increased pulmonary function response to a second consecutive O3 exposure was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)