[Chemical hazards connected with electrochemical machining. I. Toxicity of nitric oxides and chlorine lesions in rats' parenchymatous organs].

In rats exposed for 12 weeks to the mixture of nitric oxides (0.34--2.81 mg/m3) and chlorine (0.61--1.50 mg/m3) the following changes were found: increased methemoglobin concentration (MetHb), increased partial pressure, increased total carbon dioxide concentration (pCO2 TCO2), increased current dicarbonate concentration (AB), and increased buffer bases (BB). In addition, asparagine transferase activity (aspAT), alanine aminotransferase (A1AT), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and hepatic isoenzyme of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH5) in serum were found to be increased. Histopathological examination revealed: inflammatory lesions and edema of pulmonary parenchyma, alveolar emphysema and edema of connective tissue of palpetra derm with mastocytes. Chronic exposure to low concentrations of nitric oxides and chlorine induces, apart from local lesions in conjunctivae, pulmonary lesions leading to respiratory acidosis compensated by metabolic alkalosis, or liberation of indicatory enzymes through impaired cells.