Original articles
LIU Fuzhou, LIU Bing, WANG Keli, WANG Xiaoyu, SUN Zhen, ZHAO Zengming
Objective To design a controllable dynamic inhalation animal exposure device in order to provide data for research on the harms and mechanisms of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine （UDMH）. Methods A complete set of devices was designed, including an exposure chamber with a volume of 288 L, a toxic gas generator that could produce a stable aerosol with a particle size of 1-4 μm, a gas flow regulator that used vortex mixing and dilution to adjust the flow rate and concentration, a concentration detector that monitored the toxic gas concentration in the chamber in real-time, a gas supply system that ensured a stable supply of oxygen and carbon dioxide, an in-chamber environment detection and control system that could detect and set parameters such as temperatures and oxygen concentrations, and an exhaust gas filtration and recovery system that could perform harmless treatment of the toxic gas. The effectiveness and safety of the device were verified via an unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine （UDMH） exposure experiment on rats. Results At each point in the exposure chamber, the UDMH concentration was consistent and manageable. The temperature, oxygen concentration, and carbon dioxide concentration remained stable. No poisonous gas leakage was detected outside the chamber. After 60 days of UDMH exposure, the body weight of the rats decreased significantly, and their lungs, kidneys, and other organs exhibited varying degrees of damage. Conclusion This research has developed a controllable dynamic inhalation exposure device for UDMH that can contribute to subsequent research.
