No abstract available.
Inflammation* ; Nasal Mucosa* ; Ozone*

To present a critique of the disaster management, the pre-disaster, disaster and post-disaster events surrounding the Ozone Disco fire, the worst land fire disaster in the Philippine history, that occurred on March 19, 1996 were retrieved and summarized from available and verifiable records. The disaster events were analyzed based on the principles of disaster management, particularly in the medical care of the casualties and the operational structures existing in the region at that time. The existing disaster plan of the hospital involved was included in the analysis. Conclusions were set to refocus interest in the disaster and provide basis for planning in disaster preparedness.

Humans ; Ozone ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the pulmonary function changes of ozone exposure in Corona and Slitter workers exposed to an ozone level ranging from 0.022~0.061 ppm. METHODS: Forty-two subjects were exposed for 8hrs to ozone every day. We perfomed pulmonary function testing immediately before and after work and self-administered, portable peak flow meter measurements were self-conducted by the workers over a 5-day (Monday to Friday) period. RESULTS: Ozone concentrations in the workplace ranging from 0.050~0.061 ppm at Corona and 0.022~0.023 ppm at Slitter in 2006. A small decrement in forced-vital capacity were observed among Corona workers from 93.9% to 91.3% (p=0.012) and also in employment duration below ten years. We found no significant differences in before and after FVC and FEV1 among Slitter workers. All daily (Monday to Friday) peak expiratory flow rates declined in magnitude after two days of ozone exposure, compared with first day exposure. CONCLUSION: We concluded that daily ozone exposure in the workplace slightly decreased pulmonary function and that PEFR variability is greatest on the 2nd day of ozone exposure.
Employment ; Ozone* ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Function Tests

OBJECTIVES: To explore the possible effect of an interaction between summertime heat waves and ozone on cardiopulmonary mortality during the 1994 heat wave in Korea. METHODS: The unusually hot summer of 1994 in Korea was defined as the heat wave in this study. We examined the associations of air pollutants with daily cardiopulmonary deaths between 1991-1995, considering the product term of the heat wave and each pollutant, weather and time trends. RESULTS: During the heat wave, while temperatures were uniformly higher than those of other summers, the within-heat-wave difference in mortality paralleled that in the regional ozone levels. In terms of the influence of the heat wave, the results of ozone were different to those of total suspended particles (TSP) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The ozone association (relative risk (RR) =1.036; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.018-1.054) was observed only under heat wave conditions, while the TSP (RR =1.006, 95% CI = 0.999-1.012) and the SO2 (RR =1.018, 95% CI = 1.011-1.024) associations were found under normal weather conditions (per interquartile increase of each pollutant; results of three pollutants model). The ozone association under heat wave was attributable to the statistical interaction between the heat wave and ozone. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the possibility of a biological synergy between the heat wave and ozone, one that is not evident between the heat wave and other major pollutants like particles or SO2.
Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Hot Temperature* ; Infrared Rays* ; Korea* ; Mortality* ; Ozone* ; Sulfur Dioxide ; Weather

In this study, the effect of surface modification of polymethylmethacry-late[PMMA]by grafting of poly[ethylene glycol][PEG]on cell adhesion was investigated. PMMA surface was treated with ozone and then PEG-acry-late[PEGA]was graft-polymerized. Ozone treatment of the surface was car-ried out at room temperature by applying constant flow of oxygen[4.5liter/min]and 1 bar pressure. After ozone treatment, PMMA was immersed immediately in 20 wt%aq. PEG-acrylate solutions in glass ampoules. After degassing, the ampoule was sealed and kept at 60 degrees C for 24 hours to complete the graft polymerization. PMMA surface grafted with PEG revealed the enhanced oxygen content at ESCA analysis and the decreased dynamic receding contact angles. The adhesion of keratocytes onto modified PMMA was investigated. Keratocytes[4 x105cells/milliliter ]were layered on each PMMA discs which were glued to the bottom of 24-well culture plates, and cultured in a CO2 incubator for 24 hours. The adherent cells onto the surfaces were harvested by trypsinization and counted. The mean numbers of keratocytes on untreated PMMA, PEG-grafted PMMA with 1hour ozone treatment and PEG-grafted PMMA with 2 hour were 72.5 x104 and 6.5 x104 and 7.6 x104cells respectively, and there was a significant statistical difference [p=0.002], irrespective of ozone treatment period. This result suggests that surface modification of PMMA using PEG grafting may reduce etroprosthetic membrane formation of artificial cornea.
Cell Adhesion ; Cornea ; Glass ; Incubators ; Membranes ; Oxygen ; Ozone ; Polymerization* ; Polymers* ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Transplants ; Trypsin

BACKGROUND: Ozone (03) induces airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness which are characteristic features of asthma. There have been few studies observing O3-induced increase in responsiveness of rat airway muscle. Objectives: The aims of this study were to develop an O3-induced nonallergic asthma model using rat tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) and to evaluate the role of airway epithelium on the modulation of muscle responsiveness. METHOD: Five groups of 20 male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were exposed to filtered air including 0.12, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 ppm 03 for 1 hour. Thirty minutes after the exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and isometric contractile responses of the isolated tracheal ring segments to KCI, acetylcholine (ACh), and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were measured. RESULTS: The percent age of neutrophils was significantly higher and that of alveolar macro-phages in BAL fluid was significantly lower in 2.0 ppm O3-exposed rats than in the control. There were no significant differences in the maximal contractile responses of TSM to KC1, ACh, EFS and in the sensitivity to ACh (ACh-EC50) and EFS (EFS-EC50) between the control group and the ozone exposed group. ACh-EC50 and EFS-EC50 were correlated positively with the percent age of neutrophils and inversely with that of macrophages. Removal of epithelium significantly increased the sensitivity to ACh in O3-exposed group, but not in the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that O3 induces neutrophilic airway inflammation, but not an increased sensitivity of TSM to ACh or EFS in SD rats. However, O3-induced epithelial damage may be associated with increased muscle response.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Neutrophils ; Ozone ; Rats* ; Trachea

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet light induces sunburn, ageing of the skin, pigmentation and even promotes skin cancers. As there has been a recent decrease in the ozone layer surrounding the earth, increasing attention has been given to the effects of ultraviolet light on the skin. Through human epidermis, ultraviolet light is reflected, scattered, absorbed or transmitted. In caucacians, the rate of transmitted ultraviolet light A from the epidermis to the dermis is 50% and the rate of transmitted ultraviolet light B is below 10%. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the transmittance of UVA and UVB on Korean normal epidermis. METHODS: Pure epidermis was obtained from normal human epidermis by suction of blisters in 12 patients with vitiligo. All specimens were irradiated respectively with UVA and UVB and the amount of transmitted energy was measured. RESULTS: 1. The transmittance of UVA energy density by normal epidermis was 47.7+11.2% of irradiated UVA energy. 2. The transmittance of UVB energy density by normal epidermis was 32.4+3.4% of irradiated UVB energy. CONCLUSION: UVA energy transmission through normal epidermis of Korean is less than those of Caucacians but UVB energy transmission through nor mal epidermis of Korean is more than those of Caucacians. It is suggested that this could be an important basic data to study for photoaging and photoprotection in Korean population.
Blister ; Dermis ; Epidermis* ; Humans* ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Stratospheric Ozone ; Suction ; Sunburn ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Vitiligo

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of particulate matter (PM) less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10) and ozone (O3) on daily mortality in Shanghai, China.

METHODSA generalized additive model with penalized spline function was used to observe the acute effect of PM10 and O3 on daily mortality.

RESULTSHigher PM10 significantly increased the effect of O3 on total mortality, and O3 also increased the effect of PM10 although the estimated increment was statistically insignificant.

CONCLUSIONOur findings provide further evidence for the effect of PM10 and O3 on daily mortality.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the oxidation of acenaphthene (Ace), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with a saturated C-C bond by ozone and to characterize the intermediate products of ozonation.

METHODSOzone was generated from filtered dry oxygen by an ozone generator and continually bubbled into a reactor containing 1g/L Ace dissolved in an acetonitrile/water solvent mixture (90/10, v/v) at a rate of 0.5 mg/s. HPLC was used to analyze the Ace concentration. Total organic carbon (TOC) was used to measure the amount of water soluble organic compounds. GC-MS was used to identify the ozonized products. Oxygen uptake rate (OUR) of activated sludge was used to characterize the biodegradability of ozonized products.

RESULTSDuring the ozonation process, Ace was degraded, new organic compounds were produced and these intermediate products were difficult mineralize by ozone, with increasing TOC of soluble organics. The ozonized products were degraded by activated sludge more easily than Ace.

CONCLUSIONOzonation decomposes the Ace and improves its biodegradability. The ozonation combined with biological treatment is probably an efficient and economical way to mineralize acenaphthene in wastewater.