Characterization of red tide aerosols

描述（摘自研究者摘要）佛罗里达赤潮是由鞭毛藻裸子藻（Gymnodinium breve）产生的，几乎每年发生一次，具有不利的经济和健康影响。人们接触含有雾化短梭菌的海水喷雾会引起眼睛、鼻子和喉咙发炎，有些人还会出现支气管收缩。短梭菌产生的短梭毒素（聚醚短梭毒素；PbTxs）可引起所观察到的刺激和呼吸效应。目前还没有关于人体接触红潮气溶胶的系统研究，将气溶胶接触特征与不良症状的发生率和严重程度联系起来。本研究的总体目标是：1)表征含短梭菌的海洋喷雾气溶胶的物理和化学性质，以帮助对人类呼吸道沉积进行剂量学评估；2)表征实验室生成的短弧菌气溶胶的物理和化学性质，阐明气溶胶形成和运输的机制，并深入了解环境转化的程度和产物；3)与流行病学研究密切合作，评估个人在事件发生前的职业和娱乐暴露（项目4），以提供暴露浓度-反应关系。从这些研究中获得的信息将有助于评估与反复吸入红时间气溶胶有关的人类风险。

Description (Taken from the Investigator's Abstract) The Florida red time, produced by the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve, occurs almost annually and has adverse economic and health effects. Exposure of people to sea spray containing aerosolized G. breve causes irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as bronchoconstriction in some individuals. Brevetoxins (polyether breve toxins; PbTxs), produced by G. breve are responsible for the irritant and respiratory effects observed. There have been no systemic studies on human exposure to red tide aerosols correlating aerosol exposure characteristics with the incidence and severity of adverse symptoms. The overall objectives of the proposed study are to: 1) characterize the physical and chemical properties of environmental G. breve- containing sea spray aerosols to aid in dosimetric evaluations of human respiratory tract deposition; 2) characterize the physical and chemical properties of laboratory-generated G. breve aerosols to elucidate mechanisms of aerosol formation and transport, and give insight into the extent and products of environmental transformation; and, 3) assess personal occupational and recreational exposure of individual during pred time events in close collaboration with epidemiological studies (Project 4) to provide exposure concentration-response relationships. Information grained from these studies will aid in evaluations of human risk associated with repeated inhalation of red time aerosols.