Side-effects diving enriched air?

[MoonWrasse]

During some conversation with some of my diving friends, one of them raises the fact that he once heard from others that if one dives enriched air alot, there are some long-term physical side-effects.

Is it true?

:huh: :huh: :huh:

Not that I know of.
The best place to look this up would be DAN http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/
Be sure to get instruction on usage to be safe, as there are some serious death risks associated with using EAN, name O2 toxicity.

 

[Gary D.]

That's REALLY interesting...

What was the gas mix used for back then? Was it for diving also?

Yes it was for diving.

I would imagine it was all over the board trying to figure what worked and what was safe.

In the 60’s we were at 2.0 normal and an extreme of 2.4. So you can see how far they have backed off for sport.

Gary D.

 

[wunat]

Some interesting points. Actually, I am enriched-air-certified so I understand oxygen toxic an....................... It just happens that someone was talking over our conversation in regards to how our physiology might be affected. I think he was refering to our bone structure. Anyway, just a questions out of air..........

Well, will be going tech in the very near future so look forward to know the "air break" Rick is referring to.

 

[Jim Ernst]

I know that diving with regular air has caused me to spend lots of money on scuba gear, plan impulsive vacations to exotic tropical places, drink lots of drinks with umbrellas and fruit in them, develop a strong liking for Jimmy Buffett, and lust after my next dive like a heroin addict jonesin' for his next fix. I can only imagine what diving with enriched air is going to do to me!

YOUR KILLIN ME FRANK!!!!!

 

[Charlie59]

Long term use of non-irritating levels of oxygen in nitrox will not harm you later in life. If you stay within ata limits you are not likely to get this irritation. If you did get irritation from nitrox, too much and/or too long, and do it repeatedly, you could suffer from scarring of the lungs. This is not a likely scenario in rec diving.

People on ventilators on very high percentages of oxygen can have toxicity. This usually if the "Fraction of inspired o2" or FiO2 is greater than 60% for 3-7 days, depending on the FiO2 and other illnesses.

Use of low levels of oxygen by people with lung disease is NOT toxic and can prolong survival in those who use it.

Bottom line-enjoy your geezer gas, not that helpful or harmful when used within recommended limits.

I won't tell you my profession, but it deals with lungs.

 

[Doc Harry]

I dunno. I read all these stories about lung damage from long-term use of oxygen, especially at higher pressures.

We used to breathe 100% oxygen (at atmospheric pressure) in the military for hours on end, day after day, year after year.

I have over 1,000 hours on 100% oxygen and don't seem to be suffering from any pulmonary damage. (We're talking about PO2 always equal to or less than 1.0 atm)

Maybe it's because it was at atmospheric pressure and not at a higher pressure.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I dunno. I read all these stories about lung damage from long-term use of oxygen, especially at higher pressures.

We used to breathe 100% oxygen (at atmospheric pressure) in the military for hours on end, day after day, year after year.

I have over 1,000 hours on 100% oxygen and don't seem to be suffering from any pulmonary damage. (We're talking about PO2 always equal to or less than 1.0 atm)

Maybe it's because it was at atmospheric pressure and not at a higher pressure.

there have been some studies in fighter pilots that seem to correlate eventual emphysema with repeated moderate (a few hours) exposure to 100% oxygen and pressure breathing (oxygen delivered routinely at 2" water overpressure), but the last time I checked the argument was still raging as to whether it was the oxygen or the overpressure that was the main factor, with the overpressure argument seeming to have the upper hand. (I haven't looked at that for about two decades so there may well be some late breaking news on that front).

Pulmonary (whole body) toxicity is quite real. A few hours on 100% at 1 ATM (or less) followed by several hours breathing air - that's what you did "day after day, year after year" - won't do it, but 100% at 1ATM for 24 hours straight will, and if continued can cause organ shutdown and death.
Rick

 

[espenskogen]

Thus too much oxygen results in not enough oxygen reaching the blood resulting in hypoxia (oxygen shortage)! That is why diving on 100% oxygen is only safe up to 20 ft or 7m.

That's just absolutely plain wrong.

The reason why diving on 100% oxygen is only safe to 6 meters, or a ATA of 1.6, is that the partial pressure of O2 would rise above 1.6, and after a little while, you would start convulsing, loose your reg, and you'd die a horrible death. It's nothing to do with hypoxia caused by Pulmonary O2 Toxicity, which incidentially would only be caused by VERY long exposures to relatively low PPo2 (As in above 0.5 but less than 1)