Irritation of the human eye mucous membrane caused by airborne pollutants.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the different irritative effects of carbon dioxide and n-butanol exposure on the ocular mucous membrane.


METHODS
Provocation by the gases was at the same sensory level, which was 50% of maximum on a linear scale. The experiment was performed on nine healthy subjects with the aim of identifying the relationship between eye irritation and the human physiological response to this irritation. A goggle exposure system, invented at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aarhus University, was used for the experiment. The exposures lasted for 30 min each.


RESULTS
There were no changes in tear film stability and conjunctival corrosion (lissamine staining) after carbon dioxide and n-butanol exposures leading to 50% sensory eye irritation. However, the study showed a delayed inflammatory response after carbon dioxide exposure when compared with clean air. The significant change was seen for tear fluid neutrophilic granulocytes 22 h after carbon dioxide (CO(2)) exposure only.


CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that the type of exposure made no difference to the elicited physiological responses and that tear film stability and epithelium damage were not affected by sensory irritation itself.
Podlekareva
Daria
D
Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, Bygn. 260, Aarhus, Denmark.
Pan
Zhiwei
Z
Kjaergaard
Søren
S
Mølhave
Lars
L
D020001:1-Butanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D007509:Irritants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D020001:1-Butanol