Abstract
Exposure to the secondary pollutant ozone in ambient air is associated with adverse health effects when inhaled. In this work we use surface pressure measurements, combined with X-ray and neutron reflection, to observe changes in a layer of lung surfactant at the air water interface when exposed to gas phase ozone. The results demonstrate that the layer reacts with ozone changing its physical characteristics. A slight loss of material, a significant thinning of the layer and increased hydration of the surfactant material is observed. The results support the hypothesis that unsaturated lipids present in lung surfactant are still susceptible to rapid reaction with ozone and the reaction changes the properties of the interfacial layer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 753-760 |
| Journal | Environmental Science: Atmospheres |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jun 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
J. M. H. thanks the Wellcome Trust for the provision of Studentship 093468/Z/10/Z. The authors would like to thank ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and Diamond Light Source for the award of beamtime, RB1310332, SI8225 and SI8733. The neutron data are available at https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.24090599 and the X-ray data from the Birkbeck Data Repository, https://researchdata.bbk.ac.uk/ see Thompson, Katherine and Hemming, Joanna and Szyroka, Justyna and Arnold, Thomas and Rennie, Adrian (2022): raw data from XRR experiment at DLS. Birkbeck College, University of London.