Acute effects of an aerosol hair spray on tracheal mucociliary transport.

The acute effects of a commercially available aerosol hair spray preparation and a Freon propellant on various pulmonary function tests and tracheal mucociliary transport were studied in 12 normal nonsmokers. Tracheal mucous velocity was estimated by a roentgenographic method. In 7 subjects exposed to hair spray by directing the aerosol to the hair for 20 sec, no significant changes occurred in any of the various pulmonary function parameters, whereas mean tracheal mucous velocity decreased by 57 per cent (P less than 0.001) 1 hour after exposure. This effect was transient and could no longer be demonstrated after 3 hours. No significant changes in tracheal mucous velocity or pulmonary function tests were observed in the 5 control subjects exposed to the Freon propellant alone. These observations suggest that acute exposure to aerosol hair spray produces a transient impairment of a pulmonary defense mechanism, and that measurements of mucociliary transport is a more sensitive indicator of this type of airway irritation than conventional pulmonary function tests.