The Inhalation Core consists of the animal inhalation facility and the Human Exposure Assessment Laboratory (HEAL). The two parts of the animal facility are located in the sixth and ninth floor of the School of Hygiene and Public Health, with spaces each of 1,560 and 1,632 sq. ft. Both are subdivided into several rooms, which include the sixth-floor facility, an animal isolation and processing room, two acute exposure rooms, one chronic exposure room, a dog exposure room and an office. For the ninth-floor location, rooms are available for animal isolation, volatile chemical exposures, antigen and infectious aerosol exposures, carbon black particle exposures and toxic particle exposures. In addition, the laboratory for Dr. Jakab is located in this facility. The facilities are equipped with their own independent air supply that is exhausted on the roof after passing through chemical and particulate filters. The rooms are at a negative pressure with respect to the corridor, and the exposure chambers within the facility are also operated at negative pressure and supplied with charcoal and HEPA filtered air with a flow rate of at least 20 air changes per hour. Chamber concentrations of toxicants as well as temperature and humidity are continuously monitored and maintained at specified levels. Available chambers include four Rochester-type 1 m3 chambers, six horizontal flow 1 m3 chambers, one 2 m3 dog exposure chamber, two 3 m3 larger chambers, one Rochester-type 0.5 m3 chamber, one nose-only 80 port chamber, one nose-only 50 port chamber, one nose-only 18 port chamber and several smaller chambers for specific purposes. For the generation of exposure atmospheres, a number of ozone generators and for particles one Wright Dust Feed and one fluidized bed generator each are available. For exposure monitoring, several ozone monitors, one NO2 and one CO monitor, and one SO2 monitor and one infrared analyzer, one gas chromatograph and one RAM aerosol monitor are available. In addition, for particles a 10-stage Sierra Cascade Impactor is available. The HEAL Facility is also placed in two locations, with spaces of 1,050 sq. ft. and 875 sq. ft. Each of these two facilities contains a small chamber for controlled human exposures with a size of 70 and 75 sq. ft., respectively. In addition, the total area is subdivided into a subject interviewing area and administrative office, a laboratory area and also space for the gamma camera imaging facility and for performing inhalation challenges. Specialized equipment includes a body plethysmography, spirometry equipment, a GE Anger Scintillation Camera and necessary radiation safety equipment as well as equipment for broncho provocation tests. Additional safety equipment includes a crash cart with a defibrillator, pharmacy books, two laryngeal scopes and a tracheal tube, and various other equipment used for emergency situations. These exposure chambers are constructed with air tight panels and tiles with an interior finish of painted anodized aluminum. The chambers are furnished with windows located on opposing walls and one has a chair, treadmill and laboratory card/chart recorder. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning draws upon outside ambient air which is conditioned with respect to temperature and relative humidity. The design is a one pass negative pressure chamber system, and the system is capable of 50 air changes per hour at a flow rate of 420 cfm. The air supply to the chambers is prefiltered for suspended particles and in addition a HEPA filter is installed. Gas phase pollutants are also removed before reaching the chamber. The air inlet is through a ceiling diffuser and exhaust is via a rear side wall vent located three feet above floor level. Additional equipment includes a bicycle ergometer, several aerosol generators, a TSI aerodynamic particle sizer, a cascade impactor and aerosol photometer. Ozone generators and monitors are available as well. The second chamber at present lacks a humidity and temperature control system which is requested as a budgetary item.
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