Evaluation of submarine atmospheres: effects of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen on general toxicology, neurobehavioral performance, reproduction and development in rats. I. Subacute exposures.

The inhalation toxicity of submarine contaminants is of concern to ensure the health of men and women aboard submarines during operational deployments. Due to a lack of adequate prior studies, potential general, neurobehavioral, reproductive and developmental toxicity was evaluated in male and female rats exposed to mixtures of three critical submarine atmospheric components: carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2; levels elevated above ambient), and oxygen (O2; levels decreased below ambient). In a 14-day, 23 h/day, whole-body inhalation study of exposure to clean air (0.4 ppm CO, 0.1% CO2 and 20.6% O2), low-dose, mid-dose and high-dose gas mixtures (high dose of 88.4 ppm CO, 2.5% CO2 and 15.0% O2), no adverse effects on survival, body weight or histopathology were observed. Reproductive, developmental and neurobehavioral performance were evaluated after a 28-day exposure in similar atmospheres. No adverse effects on estrus phase, mating, gestation or parturition were observed. No developmental or functional deficits were observed in either exposed parents or offspring related to motor activity, exploratory behavior or higher-level cognitive functions (learning and memory). Only minimal effects were discovered in parent-offspring emotionality tests. While statistically significant increases in hematological parameters were observed in the offspring of exposed parents compared to controls, these parameters remained within normal clinical ranges for blood cells and components and were not considered adverse. In summary, subacute exposures to elevated concentrations of the submarine atmosphere gases did not affect the ability of rats to reproduce and did not appear to have any significant adverse health effects.

Evaluation of submarine atmospheres: effects of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen on general toxicology, neurobehavioral performance, reproduction and development in rats. II. Ninety-day study.

Carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and low-level oxygen (O2) (hypoxia) are submarine atmosphere components of highest concern because of a lack of toxicological data available to address the potential effects from long-duration, combined exposures on female reproductive and developmental health. In this study, subchronic toxicity of mixed atmospheres of these three submarine air components was evaluated in rats. Male and female rats were exposed via inhalation to clean air (0.4 ppm CO; 0.13% CO2; 20.6% O2) (control), a low-dose (5.0 ppm CO; 0.41% CO2; 17.1% O2), a mid-dose (13.9 ppm CO; 1.19 or 1.20% CO2; 16.1% O2) and a high-dose (89.9 ppm CO; 2.5% CO2; 15.0% O2) gas mixture for 23 h per day for 70 d premating and a 14-d mating period. Impregnated dams continued exposure to gestation day 19. Adverse reproductive effects were not identified in exposed parents (P0) or first (F1) and second generation (F2) offspring during mating, gestation or parturition. No adverse changes to the estrous cycle or in reproductive hormone concentrations were identified. The exposure-related effects were reduced weight gains and adaptive up-regulation of erythropoiesis in male rats from the high-dose group. No adverse, dose-related health effects on clinical data or physiological data were observed. Neurobehavioral tests identified no apparent developmental deficits at the tested levels of exposure. In summary, subchronic exposures to the submarine atmosphere gases did not affect the ability of the exposed rats or their offspring to reproduce and did not appear to have any significant adverse health effects.

Traditional sampling with laboratory analysis and solid phase microextraction sampling with field gas chromatography/mass spectrometry by military industrial hygienists.

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the United States Department of Defense or the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Rapid on-site detection and identification of environmental contaminants to which personnel may be exposed is often needed during military deployment situations. The availability of military industrial hygienists with capabilities for "complete" on-site exposure assessment of chemical species should allow detection and identification of a number of important stressors almost immediately following sample collection. Portable gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) provides a rapid and efficient separation of volatile and semivolatile organic analytes, accompanied by sensitive electron impact ionization-mass spectrometry (EI-MS) detection. The use of GC/MS in the field is limited, however, by equipment cost, complexity of the equipment, and the analytical process. Additionally, a skilled operator is needed to obtain useful separations and to interpret mass spectral data. To demonstrate benefits and limitations of "complete" exposure assessment capabilities, a previously unidentified complex mixture, produced by thermal dispersion of riot control agents, was examined. Established active sampling methods were used with laboratory analyses. Solid phase microextraction, a passive sampling method that simplifies preparation for GC/MS analysis, also was used with a field-portable GC/MS system. Both sampling/analysis methods were used to detect CS riot control agent-derived air contaminants dispersed from riot control type canisters through oxidizer-supported combustion of a chemical fuel.