Human response to controlled levels of inert dust

We studied nasal mucous flow, airway resistance, and subjective response in 16 young healthy subjects during 5-hour exposures to 2, 10, and 25 mg of inert dust per m3 in an environmental chamber. The dust was a fully polymerized plastic dust containing carbon black. The number of these particles in room air, expressed as a per cent of the total number of particles was 36, 41, 14, 7, and 2, respectively, for the aerodynamic size ranges less than or equal to 1.8, 1.9 to 5.3, 5.4 to 8.9, 9.0 to 12.4, and greater than or equal to 12.5 micron. No significant changes in nasal mucociliary clearance rate or nasal resistance were observed. At all dust concentrations there was a decrease in 1-sec forced expiratory volume, but not in the forced vital capacity or the forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the forced vital capacity. The nasal penetration fraction of particles was approximately 55 per cent for the smallest particles and 20 per cent for the largest particles. Discomfort was proportional to the concentration of dust, but lagged almost 2 hours behind the changes in dust concentration. The discomfort was never excessive; the main complaints were dryness in the nose and pharynx.