Technical Bulletin No. 0348: Respiratory Response to Sulfate Aerosols

The pulp and paper industry encountered objections to expansion plans stemming from (a) its identification with process emission sources whose principal particulate component is sodium sulfate, and (b) its lack of information on human respiratory response to sodium sulfate aerosols. No ongoing sulfate aerosol-human respiratory impact studies included sodium sulfate species. The National Council undertook the development of a study to fill this information gap. This technical bulletin contains the findings of this study. It includes a section on pulmonary function measurement methods and definitions to aid the reader in understanding the contents. It also includes a summary of animal inhalation studies conducted with sodium and other sulfate species.