Respiratory Tract Injury from Gases and Vapors

6 Respiratory Tract Injury from Gases and Vapors 

The respiratory toxicity of gases and vapors is determined for several different physical and chemical properties. These factors include (1) chemical dose, (2) water solubility (hydrophilicity versus lipophilicity), and (3) chemical reactivity. 

The dose of the toxic substance to which an individual is exposed generally determines severity of injury. For example, the occupational exposure to gases (e.g., chlorine, ammonia, HC1) can be divided into three levels of dose exposure that 

The reactivity of an inhaled chemical refers to a more unstable conformation (high-energy state) such as formaldehyde that can easily bond with other molecules. Also, chemical reactivity often means that the reactive substance has the ability to generate reactive oxygen or reactive nitrogen species as a consequence of its reaction with other molecules. 

TABLE 27.1. Water Solubility, Irritant Classification, and Site of Injury for Selected Highly Reactive Gases 

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