Long Term Risk due to exposure to High PPO2?

[gulfdiver]

Are there long term health risks to periodic exposure to high ppO2?

My wife is a vet and seems to recall something about this she read years ago, perhaps more than a decade.

Thanks.

 

[scubadoc]

There are numerous reports of chronic lung damage and eye problems (retrolental fibroplasia) in laboratory animals and premature infants exposed to high levels of oxygen.

This does not seem to translate to the adult who is subjected to periodic hyperbaric oxygenation. However, Suzuki has reported in the Undersea Medical Journal in 1994 that in saturation divers HBO caused a decrease in diffusing capacity in the lungs and an increase in ethane production. These observations indicated that the decrease of DLCO/VA was assumed to be caused by oxygen-derived free radicals.

 

[gulfdiver]

Greatly appreciate the response. Looks like the recreational use of Nitrox should not have long term ill effects.