Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Inhal Toxicol. 2022;34(11-12):340-349. doi: 10.1080/08958378.2022.2114562. Epub 2022 Aug 25.
Inhalation exposure systems are tools for delivering compounds (particles, vapors, and gases) under well-controlled conditions for toxicological testing. The objective of this project was to develop an automated computer-controlled system to expose small laboratory animals to precise concentrations of crude oil vapor (COV). Vapor from heated Deepwater Horizon surrogate oil was atomized into a fine mist then diluted with filtered air, then the air/droplet mixture was routed into an evaporation column with an high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter on its exit port. The HEPA filter was used to remove oil particles, thus ensuring only vapor would pass. The vapor was then introduced into a custom-built exposure chamber housing rats. A calibrated flame ionization detector was used to read the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in real time, and custom software was developed to automatically adjust the amount of oil entering the atomizer with a syringe pump. The software also controlled relative humidity and pressure inside the exposure chamber. Other exposure chamber environmental parameters, e.g. temperature and CO levels, were monitored. Four specific components within the COV were monitored during each exposure: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. The TVOC vapor concentration control algorithm maintained median concentrations to within ±2 ppm of the target concentration (300 ppm) of TVOC during exposures lasting 6 h. The system could reach 90% of the desired target in less than 15 min, and repeat exposures were consistent and reproducible. This exposure system provided a highly automated tool for conducting COV inhalation toxicology studies.
吸入暴露系统是一种工具,可在经过良好控制的条件下输送化合物(颗粒、蒸气和气体),以进行毒理学测试。本项目的目的是开发一种自动化计算机控制的系统,以使小型实验动物暴露于精确浓度的原油蒸气(COV)中。加热的深水地平线代用油的蒸气被雾化成细雾,然后用经过滤的空气稀释,然后将空气/液滴混合物通过一个带有高效空气微粒(HEPA)过滤器的蒸发柱,出口处的 HEPA 过滤器用于去除油颗粒,从而确保只有蒸气通过。然后将蒸气引入一个定制的暴露室中,容纳大鼠。使用校准的火焰离子化探测器实时读取总挥发性有机化合物(TVOC),并开发了定制软件,通过注射器泵自动调整进入雾化器的油量。该软件还控制暴露室内的相对湿度和压力。其他暴露室环境参数,例如温度和 CO 水平,也受到监测。在每次暴露过程中,监测 COV 中的四个特定成分:苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯。总挥发性有机化合物蒸气浓度控制算法将暴露持续 6 小时期间的 TVOC 中位数浓度维持在目标浓度(300 ppm)的±2 ppm 范围内。该系统可以在不到 15 分钟的时间内达到 90%的目标值,并且重复暴露是一致和可重复的。该暴露系统提供了一种高度自动化的工具,可用于进行 COV 吸入毒理学研究。