Accession Number:

ADA455407

Title:

Four-Hour Dives with Exercise While Breathing Oxygen Partial Pressure of 1.3 ATM

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept. Oct 2005-May 2006

Corporate Author:

NAVY EXPERIMENTAL DIVING UNIT PANAMA CITY FL

Personal Author(s):

• Shykoff, B.

Report Date:

2006-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

27.0

Abstract:

The U.S. Navy Diving Manual authorizes divers to breathe oxygen for up to 240 minutes per day at depths of 20 feet of seawater fs1w or less but does not address the possible accumulation of effects over multiple days. We have conducted experimental four-hour dives with oxygen partial pressure Po2 of approximately 1.4 atmospheres atm2,3 and have concluded that the limit of 240 minutes in 24 hours appears to be acceptable for multiple days if divers are at rest. Still, because the increased ventilatory demands and blood flow to the lungs during underwater exercise may cause pulmonary injury or may increase oxygen-induced injury over those ventilatory demands and blood flows experienced at rest, we tested divers after they had exercised underwater while being exposed to 1.3 atm oxygen for four hours. Although we cannot differentiate oxygen effects from exercise effects with this study, we can examine the combined effects. Testing was conducted as part of the NAVSEA-funded task, Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity Whlle Swimming How Exercising Underwater or UsThg a Rebreather Underwater Breathing Apparatus Affects Pulmonary Function After 1.35 Atm Oxygen Exposures.4

Descriptors:

• *BREATHING APPARATUS
• *PULMONARY FUNCTION
• *EXERCISE(PHYSIOLOGY)
• TOXICITY
• OXYGEN
• LUNG
• NAVAL OPERATIONS
• WOUNDS AND INJURIES
• MANUAL OPERATION
• UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT
• PARTIAL PRESSURE
• SWIMMING
• ACCUMULATION
• SEA WATER
• DIVERS
• DIVING
• BLOOD CIRCULATION

Subject Categories:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Life Support Systems

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE