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Name: Unknown
Status: other
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
Could humans breath (survive) in at atmosphere containing pure oxigen?

Replies:
Yes they could...for a while and then they would begin suffering from oxygen toxicity which causes a number of serious problems not the least which are some pretty serious neurological damage.

PF

Sure. At normal atmospheric pressure, it's fairly dangerous, as ordinary substances such as clothing become extremely flammable under those conditions. In the short term, the human body has no problems with a high concentration of oxygen. In fact, exposure to elevated oxygen pressures is sometimes even used as a treatment for some diseases, such as gangrene. Over the long term, some tissues may suffer oxidative damage. I don't really know what the long-term health effects are, though.

Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois

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