Characterization of red tide aerosols

描述(摘自《调查者摘要》)佛罗里达州的红色时间，由短裸甲藻产生，几乎每年都会发生，对经济和健康都有不利影响。人们暴露在含有雾化G.Brive的海雾中会引起眼睛、鼻子和喉咙的刺激，以及一些人的支气管收缩。由G.Brive产生的Brevetoxins(聚醚短毒素；PbTxs)是所观察到的刺激性和呼吸影响的原因。目前还没有关于人类接触赤潮气溶胶的系统研究，将气溶胶暴露特征与不良症状的发生率和严重程度联系起来。拟议研究的总体目标是：1)确定环境中含有短毛棉的海雾气溶胶的物理和化学性质，以协助对人类呼吸道沉积进行剂量学评估；2)确定实验室产生的短毛棉气溶胶的物理和化学性质，以阐明气溶胶形成和传输的机制，并深入了解环境变化的程度和产物；以及，3)与流行病学研究(项目4)密切合作，评估个人在捕食事件期间的个人职业和娱乐暴露，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色时间气雾剂相关的人类风险。

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.