Figure 1

A schematic diagram of the set-up of a CD gas exposure chamber. CD gas discharged from the CD gas generator shown at the left was mixed with air by an airfoil fan, then sent to a mixing chamber and flown through a perforated, flow lamination plate to yield an even, regulated concentration CD gas flow throughout cages housing animals in the exposure chamber. A probe of CD gas detector was placed in the middle of the chamber to monitor the CD gas concentration continuously. The ventilation rate in the chamber was 30 times per hour. In order to ensure the even exposure of CD gat to rats, the position of cages were rotated once weekly. In an experiment prior to the study, it was confirmed that the existence of animals, chow, water, and excrements did not affect the flowing CD concentration (data not shown). It was also confirmed that the CD gas concentration was equal at the inlet and at the outlet as well as at the center of the chamber (data not shown).