DISSOLVED GASES IN BODY FLUIDS 



225 



tration of dissolved inert gases in ml/liter for urine versus the decompression time in hours. 

 Again, the inert gases in urine decrease with time and follow very closely the corresponding 

 decrease in partial pressure of inert gases in the DDC. Urine sampling was terminated 26 

 hours after start of decompression, since one of the divers was experiencing slight pain and in 

 fact had developed a case of decompression sickness. The remaining nine divers were trans- 

 ferred to the outer lock of the DDC and were brought to surface pressure separately. No sep- 

 arate medical lock was available in the outer lock for transferring urine samples, so no further 

 analyses were possible. 



15 20 



TIME IN DDC (HOURS) 



DISCUSSION 



Fig. 96. Sealab II, Team 3 inert-gas elimination 

 during decompression 



As mentioned previously, the most reliable data were obtained during the decompression 

 studies on Teams 2 and 3. The primary reason for this was that the divers were under closer 

 supervision of the support personnel while in the DDC. Another factor was the ease with which 

 samples could be transferred from the DDC to the support people via the medical lock. 



