breathed contaminate air

[chuenhau]

hi guys,
i'm a new diver and i hope you all may be able to answer to some of my questions regarding contaminated air.. a few days ago, i unwittingly used contaminated air on a dive (max depth=18m). apparently the dive center's air compressor was leaking oil(i'm not sure what this means). halfway through the dive, there was a strong rubber/plastic like taste in the air, but i thought nothing of it until i felt giddy when we surfaced. i was feeling fine later, but i'm concerned if this incident may have caused some long-term damage. i mean, isn't this oil supposed to be toxic? i'm concerned about lung/brain/organ damage or cancer at worse

this incident has left a very negative impression in me about diving. although it was fun, but can it be so easily dangerous? pls help me get the facts straight.

 

[Firediver]

DId you report it to the DS? They shouldn't of sold u any air if they had a problem with the compressor. I suggest going to someone else from now on.. as for effects, if you are unsure about it.. get checked out by your physician.

 

[jagfish]

Yeah
Check with a physician ASAP. I've heard that oil in lungs can be a cause for concern.

JAG

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

chuenhau,

I would also add that if the air was pumped into YOUR tanks, you will have to have them cleaned. The interior of the cylinder becomes contaminated and will continue to have a bad taste/odor until it is removed. You certainly don't want to continue to inhale this stuff.

IMHO, your LDS (who pumped the oily air) should do this gratis...btw the shop must ALSO completely decontaminate their system...banks, tanks, compressors, tubing manifolds, etc. otherwise you will still get the same junk air.

It's happened to me!

Regards,

Larry Stein

 

[chuenhau]

hi guys,

thank you all for your feedback. i will certainly be more carefull whose air i use next time. however, i am still worried about the health effects of this unfortunate incident. could someone please enlighten me? it would really help set my mind at ease..

chuenhau

 

[DandyDon]

Your profile soesn't say where you are? If in the US, call Divers Alert Network collect at 919-684-811 and ask for a doctor. It's free of charge...

 

[DocVikingo]

The immediate worry in breathing cylinder air containing oil vapor (apparently not yet actually proven in your case) is the vapor settling on the inside of the lungs. This can cause lipoid pneumonia, a serious inflammation of the lining. Features of this can include cough & shortness of breath. If one develops any abnormality of the chest or breathing following suspected exposure to contaminated air, they should seek immediate medical attention.

As for long-term worries, a single, mild exposure should not be the basis of much concern as regards lung disease such as cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Saturation]

Inhaling oil is a type of dose related hydrocarbon toxicity, which occurs within a day after exposure, especially under pressure. Its acute effects are on the CNS, lungs and heart, and later on all major organs including kidneys, liver and bone marrow. First signs are often headaches, dizziness, lethargy, unconsciousness to shortness of breath. In severe cases it alters the alevoli linings and causes a chemical pneumonia that can get secondarily infected.

It depends entirely on how long the hydrocarbon chain is, how much was inhaled and for how long: short ones are in the solvent class like toulene [the stuff enjoyed in 'glue sniffing'], medium length like gasoline, long ones like oil or diesel.

If a victim survives the exposure and has no residual effects a week since the exposure, it commonly leads to no lasting injury. Its best not to get recurrently exposed as there are long term toxic effects.

If the victim still does not feel well 2-3 days after exposure, it may mean some lasting injury has occured, typically the liver, and needs a doctor's visit.

 

[FredT]

It also depends on what the oil was. Some "natural" vegetable based oils the body can assimilate low doses over time. Some of the synthetics are a bit less toxic than the petroleum oils, but take a while to for the body clean up. Other petroleum based ones are too stable and cannot be removed from the system easily.

High volume dual use compressors where a small percentage of the output is used for breathing air are best lubricated with something described as "super Mazola". Inhalation if a filter fails is still not good, but it is recoverable and normally not fatal in the acute phase.

FT

 

[chuenhau]

hi guys,

thanks for the replies it's been very informational. btw, as DandyDon requested, i will update my details. thanks again for being so helpful

chuenhau