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STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF AMMONIUM SULFATE ON CARCINOGENESIS
Citation:
Godleski, J. AND J. Leighton. STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF AMMONIUM SULFATE ON CARCINOGENESIS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/1-78/020.
Description:
The project was designed to evaluate the health effects of ammonium sulfate (Nh4)2 SO4 inhalation using experimental animals. The questions studied were: (1) Is inhaled ammonium sulfate co-carcinogenic. (2) What are the deposition and clearance patterns of inhaled ammonium sulfate. (3) What effect does ammonium sulfate have on pulmonary defensive mechanisms. The study showed that ammonium sulfate inhalation had no effect on the development of cancer and no effect on the development of other significant pulmonary diseases in hamsters. Hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits were studied for deposition and clearance of inhaled ammonium sulfate. Total respiratory tract deposition was greater with the larger particle size in all studies. Clearance patterns were similar for the three species regardless of particle size. The half time for clearance of ammonium sulfate from the lung was 18 to 20 minutes. Inhaled and injected sulfate was cleared via the urinary tract and by six hours after exposure 95% of the total collectable sulfate was present in the urine. Pulmonary macrophage number was not affected by ammonium sulfate inhalation.